Carte des Indes Orientales c.1665
Important 17th Century map of the Indian Ocean. This elegantly composed map is one of the earliest French maps to show the groundbreaking 17th century discoveries that occurred in Australia. Notably, it features the explorations of Abel Tasman, derived from his voyages to Australia and New Zealand, from 1642 to 1644. Lands recently encountered by Dutch East India Company (VOC) explorers include the south coast of Tasmania, the west coast of Cape York, and the coast of Arnhem Land. Originally first published in 1665 from Duval’s atlas, Cartes de Geographie les Plus Nouvelles. The outlines of the coasts of South and East Asia are very advanced for the time. India, Indochina and the Malaya Peninsula are based on the latest VOC published sea charts, and present a view familiar to the modern observer. The Indonesian Archipelago is generally well formed, although New Guinea takes on a somewhat crude shape. China is shown in fairly assured form and features the depiction of the Great Wall, while Korea is correctly shown to be a peninsula. Japan, south of Hokkaido, is quite accurately represented. Pierre du Val (1619-1683) was ‘Geographe Ordinaire’ to Louis XIV. As evidenced by the present map, Du Val was known for his careful selection of sources and his tasteful, somewhat restrained, employment of ornamentation combined with virtuous engraving.
Size image: 54 cm x 40 cm
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H 40 cm x W 54 cm
Decorative world map by the great French cartographer Guillaume Delisle (1675-1726), one of the key figures in the development of French cartography who believed passionately in the importance of accuracy. This twin-hemispheric map was originally published by Delisle in 1724 in his “Atlas Nouveau”.The map shows the routes of a number of the world’s major explorers: Magellan (1520), Le Maire (1615), St. Louis (1708), Halley (1700), Mendana (1595), St. Antoine (1710), Tasman (1642) and Quiroz (1605).
Size image: 64 cm x 44 cm
The strangely shaped islands and early place names provide a fascinating early view of the region on this 450 years old map. This map of South East Asia by Girolamo Ruscelli’s edition of Ptolemy’s ‘Geographia’ was published in Venice in 1561. The crudely executed map shows some evidence of the Portugese discoveries in the early 16th century such as the location of Malacca. East of Malacca is Java Minor, south of Sumatra is Java Major. Little of the Indonesian archipelago is accurately depicted on this early map of the region. The map represents a transition from the old Ptolemaic model of the far east, based largely on the accounts of Marco Polo, and the Ortelian model based on access to the Portugese portolan charts of the area.
size image: 25 cm x 19 cm
Mid-18th century map showing the route taken by Abel Tasman on his way to discovering New Zealand, Tasmania, Tonga and Fiji. The map was originally published by Francois Valentyn in his ‘Oud en Nieuw Oost Indien’ (Old and New East Indies). Tasman started his voyage in Mauritius and left Batavia on August 14th 1642, commanded by the VOC, to determine whether the already discovered (north)west Australian coasts were connected with the hypothetical southern continent. The results of Tasman’s second voyage of 1644 are not included in this map.
size image: 47 cm x 31 cm
Decorative Mid-18th century large German map of Batavia by Johann Baptist Homann and originally published in the Homannischer Atlas around 1747. The plan shows the city and its immediate environs, the surrounding rice fields intersected by a network of waterways, canals and outlying fortifications. A detailed lettered key identifies the buildings and sites of importance of this capital and administrative centre of the Dutch East Indies. Inset views depict the city, Rathaus and the castle, whilst below there is a full-length black and white panorama of the city from the sea embellished on each side by portraits of native Javanese figures and exotic wildlife including a leopard and a cayman.
size image: 47 cm x 40 cm