Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Humans

Page 7

The woodcut portrays a figure from Shelu Country in a dynamic pose. He wears a distinctive fur-trimmed cap and a heavy, long-sleeved robe also edged with fur, suggesting a cold or temperate climate. His pointed boots and the style of his garment are consistent with Ming dynasty depictions of Central Asian or "Northern Barbarian" peoples. This visual representation serves to categorize the "otherness" of distant cultures for the Ming reader.

Shelu Country is of the same kind as Mulu; the journey to Yingtian Prefecture takes over seven months by horse.

The people of Shelu Country original: 蛇魯國. A phonetic transcription. While the exact location is debated, it likely refers to a region in Central Asia or the Middle East encountered during the Ming era's maritime or overland explorations. are similar in nature and customs to those of Mulu original: 木魯. Generally identified as Merv, a major oasis city on the historical Silk Road in modern-day Turkmenistan..

To reach Yingtian Prefecture original: 應天府. This was the formal name for Nanjing, which served as the capital during the early Ming Dynasty and remained the "Southern Capital" throughout the period. It was the primary reference point for measuring distances to foreign nations., it requires a journey of more than seven months original: 七餘月. A common way to indicate the vast distance and the logistical effort required for diplomatic or trade missions to reach the heart of China. when traveling by horse.