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Hi maphists: I am not totally sure about this, but I think the Portuguese may have introduced transparent glass in Japan or at least transparent cut glass of some sort, since the Japanese so much appreciated and imported it from the Portuguese. Again, maybe I am wrong - please correct me if so, but the word for drinking glass in Japanese is also copo, like copo in Portuguese. The Japanese certainly had ceramics before, and ceramic drinking containers - but they seemed to have adopted the Portuguese word for a transparent drinking glass container (among many other words that exist in Japanese from Portuguese origin - and vice-versa). So if this is true, the more the value to bring a transparent glass mounted mapa-mundi to Japan. Or maybe not - maybe it was, again, just a standard procedure, to cover paper with glass - to avoid stains, humidity, water, during transport...plus it looks nicer. In Japan the Portuguese later even developed the first hospital with Western civilization like surgeries being done, a diocese in Funai (todays Oita), making Nagasaqui also a major commercial city (when it was just a small fishing village), etc. So maybe at some point Portuguese glass could have been made in Japan? Do not know...since before 1640 all the Portuguese are kicked out of Japan, and even before they were confined to Dejima artificial Island (Ilha do Entulho - Dumpster Island, in Portuguese). I am just an amateur in history - so I also would like to know better the story of Portuguese transparent glass introduced in Japan after 1542, when Francisco Zeimoto, Antonio Peixoto e Antonio da Mota become the first Portuguese to arrive to Japan. As to the later msgs posted here by Alfredo P. Marques and F. Contente Domingues - I know/met both of them, but was not aware in detail of all these problems. This leaves me sad - for I also know that both of them are quite knowledgeable in history and quite capable of doing good work. We all make mistakes, nobody is perfect - so I wish everyone could focus on scientific matters, if possible, though I realize the circumstances make it harder. I can only hope these disputes may find a commonly agreed, reasonable end solution - where the capacities and knowledge of everyone are put to a good use. Best wishes, Paulo Afonso _______________________________________________ MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. List Information: http://www.maphist.nl Maphist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist
