Exploring The American West, 1803-1879

Plot

This attractive map of Southeast Asia was published in Leiden in 1700 and covers, to the west most of India; as far east as southern China and the Korean Peninsula; and to the south Thailand, most of the Malay Peninsula, and northern Sumatra. The map may have been created in the 16th century as a later record of the voyage that Lopo Soares de Albergaria (circa 1453-circa 1532) made to Asia in 1515 on behalf of King Manuel I of Portugal. It was published by Pieter Van der Aa (1659-1733), Dutch publisher and bookseller based in Leiden who specialized in reissuing maps acquired from earlier mapmakers. Van der Aa published numerous maps and atlases, including his Naaukeurige versameling der gedenkwaardigste zee en landreysen na Ost en West-Indien (Accurate collection of the most memorable travels by sea and land between the East and West Indies) in 1706-8 and Galerie agréable du monde (Attractive gallery of the world) completed in 1729. Van der Aa's maps generally are more renowned as decorative objects than for their geographical correctness. Many of his maps included large and decorative title cartouches. The cartouche on this map features a man and his servant, a temple and worshippers, and elephants. Scale is given in German miles and Spanish miles.