The East Indies:    Insulae Indiae Orientalis Praecipuae In quibus Moluccae celeberrimae sunt.

Original copperplate engraved map
Fine Handcolor
375 x 500 mm
Map #  AS-165
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An early, decorative and highly beautiful map of the East Indian Archipelago.   This map shows the vitally important Spice Islands and covers an area from Sumatra and Southeast Asia in the west to Nova Guinea in the east.  Much of the geographical data for this map is based on the portolans of the Portuguese cartographer, Bartolomeu Lasso, from earlier in the 1500s.

Of special note, this map is one of a few maps to show evidence of Sir Francis Drake in the region (Suarez, p. 193).   Although the south coast of Java is still unclear, as shown by the dotted line, Hondius inscribes "Huc Franciscus Dra. appulit" on the southern port where Drake landed.     

The title cartouche is at top left and a second text box at the right center.  A sea battle, a sea monster and several compass roses are displayed on the map. 

Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612) was the founder of the famous 17th century Dutch map publishing family.  Hondius, along with sons Jodocus II and Henricus and son-in-law Jan Janssonius, was prominent in Dutch cartography and competed with the emerging Blaeu family map business. 

When Jodocus Hondius acquired the copperplates of the Mercator atlas and decided to re-issue them in 1606, he prepared this map for inclusion in his Atlas sive Cosmographicae......   This map is dated 1613.  Latin text on verso with a signature of seven "s"s and pages 348 & 349.  (Van der Krogt, p.709).  This map last appeared in an atlas in 1633.  There is a later map of Insulae Indiae Orientalis...  to 1675 by Janssonius.

References:  Van der Krogt, Peter.  Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici, vol. 1. 't Goy-Houten: HES Publishers,1997. Suarez, Thomas. Early Mapping of Southeast Asia. Singapore:  Periplus Editions Ltd. 1999.

Fine Condition overall, with tissue reinforcement on verso to strengthen centerfold.  A strong impression, finely colored, with wide margins.   Some minor discoloration to outer parts of wide margins, but the map image is clean with no spots.