Jan Huygen Van Linschoten (1571-1611). Deliniantur in hac tabula, Orae maritimae Abexiae, freti Mecani. al. Marís Rubri, Arabiae, Ormi, Persiae… (Amsterdam: 1596). Published in Linschoten’s Itinerario. Copperplate engraving with fine original hand-color. Printed on two joined sheets. Image: 15 1/8 x 21 in. Close margins, left, right & bottom. Very good condition for this desirable map. $10,000.
$10,000.00
Gorgeous 16th Century map of the region centered on the Indian Ocean, extending from the Arabian Peninsula to Sumatra, and possibly the first detailed navigation chart printed for the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Linschoten’s work was a significant advance in accuracy and detail, setting the standard for subsequent maps of the Near East and South Asia for the 16th and 17th centuries. As noted by map historian G. R. Tibbets, “The surprising fact about the representation of the (Arabian) peninsula is the close resemblance of the outline to that of a modern map when compared with other engraved maps of the time.”
Between 1583 and 1589 Linschoten was secretary to the Archbishop of Goa, and in a unique position to collect information pertinent to the Portuguese empire, which upon his return to the Netherlands he promptly published. His Itinerario’s description of the lands of the East, and the people, their costumes, religions and customs, represented the bulk of his work. Few books have had greater influence on historical events. His copying of Portuguese sea charts, sailing instructions, and guides from port to port paved the way for the Dutch seizure of the East India trade, thus spurring the Dutch Golden Age.
Styled after Portuguese portolan charts, nautical charts used for navigation and trade, this map retains the lush decorative flourishes of their sources. Linschoten’s engraver belonged to the van Langren dynasty of Antwerp / Amsterdam engravers, whose expert work captured the unique beauty of the portolan charts. The map’s central compass rose especially captures the map’s sources and beauty.
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