Tokyo, 1930
Maps.d.93.1

The earliest historical reference to a map drawn on silk dates back to 227 BCE. This Japanese inflatable globe from 1930 is printed on Habutai silk (from the Japanese habutae, ‘feather-two-layer’), one of the most basic plain silk fabrics traditionally woven in Japan, which is quite easy to dye. It is normally a lining silk but can also be used for lampshades, clothing or, in this case, an inflatable globe. During the 1930s Japan was successfully exporting low-cost items, especially those made of fabric, and the United Kingdom was an important trading partner, which would explain why the globe was printed in English.