Asia - Asia; Willem Blaeu - Asia Noviter .. - 1663

Condition: good, with some browning. Sufficient margins.

This is one of the most famous 17th-century maps of the continent of Asia. It is surrounded by a beautiful border with figures and is richly decorated with animals, sea monsters, and sailing ships. The eastern coastline of Asia is severely truncated, Korea is depicted as an island, and Japan is shown on the Ortelius-Teixeira model. The Indian subcontinent is too narrow, and the islands of Indonesia are very sketchily drawn. A large island labeled Ceiram probably represents the western part of New Guinea. Inland, the Caspian Sea is oriented on an east-west axis, and there are several large, incorrect lakes in China, including the mythical Chiamay Lacus. The top margin contains vignettes of the cities Candy, Calecut, Goa, Damascus, Jerusalem, Hormuz, Banten, Aden, and Macao. The depiction of Banten reflects the rise of the Dutch as a major trading power in the East Indies. The side panels flanking the map show costumed figures of various Asian peoples. This is a later edition with evidence of a tear in the copperplate at the bottom center. French text on the reverse.