Antique german map of Southwestern Tibet, 1897

Published in 1897 by Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, Südwestliches Tibet Nach eigenen Aufnahmen von H.S. Landor is a detailed map of Southwestern Tibet, based on the explorations and surveys of Henry Savage Landor, a British-Italian explorer, writer, and painter. This map was produced during a period when Western interest in Tibet was increasing due to its remote and mysterious nature, as well as its strategic geopolitical position between British India, China, and Russia.

Henry Savage Landor undertook a daring and perilous expedition into Tibet in 1897, during which he was captured, accused of espionage, and allegedly tortured by Tibetan authorities before eventually being released. Despite these hardships, he managed to document the landscapes, cultural aspects, and geographical features of the region. His work provided one of the most detailed Western accounts of Tibet at the time.

Brockhaus, a renowned German publisher, was known for producing high-quality maps, atlases, and encyclopedias, making this publication a significant contribution to the Western understanding of Tibetan geography. The map likely illustrates mountain ranges, rivers, trade routes, and settlements, offering valuable insights into the topography of Southwestern Tibet, a region that was largely uncharted by Western cartographers at the time.

This map is an important historical artifact, reflecting the era of exploration and colonial-era cartography, when European nations sought to expand their knowledge of remote regions. Today, it remains a valuable resource for researchers studying the history of Tibetan exploration, 19th-century cartography, and the geopolitical tensions of the time. The detailed work of Landor, as preserved through this Brockhaus publication, helped shape Western perceptions of Tibet before its full political integration into China in the 20th century.