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The Matteo Ricci world map of 1602 which was recently acquired by the James Ford Bell Trust, the map is on view at the MIA through Aug. 29.  On Saturday, June 12 from 2-3 p.m., London map expert, Daniel Crouch will present a lecture about the map at the MIA Pillsbury Auditorium. The Matteo Ricci world map of 1602 which was recently acquired by the James Ford Bell Trust, the map is on view at the MIA through Aug. 29.  On Saturday, June 12 from 2-3 p.m., London map expert, Daniel Crouch will present a lecture about the map at the MIA Pillsbury Auditorium.

Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit priest arrived in Macao in 1582.  His world map of 1602 is celebrated as the "Impossible Black Tulip," because surviving copies are so rare. Printed in China, it represents the meeting of the East and West and is the oldest known Chinese map to include the Americas. The map is a statement of what was known about the world at that time.
 
The lecture is co-presented by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Associates of the James Ford Bell Library, and the University of Minnesota Libraries.
 
Admission is US$10 for the general public and US$5 for museum members.  For more information and to reserve tickets, visit www.artsmia.org.