Cabinet of Discoveries

MAE001
India quae Orientalis dicitur et Insulae adjacentes

Highly decorative antique map of the East Indies (from the Western border of Pakistan to Japan).

It includes ‘t land von Endracht, G de Wit’s Land and the East coast of Cape York, the first parts of the Australian coast to be seen and mapped by the Dutch.

Inbetween is a vast gap: the mapmaker did not attempt to draw the unknown coast line. There are also 3 decorative cartouches and rhumb lines, compass roses and ships in the sea.

This map is widely rated as a cornerstone of a collection of early maps of Australia. It is also prized by collectors of maps of the Philippines and of Asia.

By Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638), [or his son Joan]. 1642 William Blaeu is the most famous map publisher of the 17th century. Together with his sons, Joan and Cornelis, he was the most prolific exponent of the distinctive Dutch style of map engraving, calligraphy, decoration and colouring.

The geography of many of his maps was taken from other mapmakers and some were out of date by the time they were published, but atlases and sheet maps by the Blaeus flooded Europe and set the benchmark for their many competitors and imitators.

414 x 550 mm. Original colouring. Very good condition; some marginal browning, minor offsetting and a small (easily reversible) adhesion at fold. Tooley 223. $2800