Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Humans, Volume 13

Page 8

The woodcut displays a man identified as a member of the "Ba-chi-she." He is dressed for a cold climate, wearing a tall, pointed hat decorated with a plume, a heavy robe lined with fur, and sturdy boots. His hands are respectfully clasped, a standard pose in these catalogs to indicate a tributary relationship or a peaceful status toward the Chinese Empire.

The Ba-chi-she

The Ba-chi-she original: 巴赤舌. This name is likely a phonetic transcription of a non-Chinese ethnonym. Based on the description of their forest habitat and distance from the capital, they may represent one of the Siberian or Manchurian "forest peoples" known to the Ming court. reside within dense forests original: 林木 (Linmu). Unlike the nomadic tribes of the open steppe, these people are identified specifically by their woodland environment. and engage in farming original: 種田 (Zhongtian). The mention of agriculture alongside forest-dwelling suggests a semi-settled lifestyle..

They produce horses original: 出馬 (Chuma). This indicates that horses are their primary commodity or tribute item provided to the imperial court..

To travel from their lands to Yingtian Prefecture original: 應天府 (Yingtianfu). The southern capital of the Ming dynasty, known today as Nanjing. Measuring distance by the time it takes to reach the capital was a common way for Ming geographers to place foreign cultures within a political hierarchy centered on the Emperor., it requires one year of travel by horse.