Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries
Colouring: Coloured
Condition: Good
Confirmed: No
Dealers ID No.: M844 (STK 1746.01)
Description: This rare and highly decorative portolan chart of the East Indies and Australia, printed on vellum, was produced by Hendrick Doncker, a leading Amsterdam bookseller and chartmaker active in the mid-seventeenth century. Dated 1658, the chart carries Donckers monogram HD and includes the signature of engraver J. [Johannes] Leupenius, discreetly inscribed on a bale in southern Africa.nAccording to cartographic historian Simon Dewez, this map was compiled by Doncker using plates from two of his atlases: t Wester deel van Oost Indien and t Ooster deel van Oost Indien. To adapt the plates into a single unified wall chart, Doncker removed many major geographical labelsincluding Mozambique, Egypt, Africa Pars, and Asie Parsto accommodate elaborate vignette scenes.nThese finely engraved vignettes, the work of Johannes Leupenius, depict local populations engaged in everyday activities and trade with foreign merchants. Leupenius, who also created manuscript charts for Doncker, was married to the mapmakers sister, Sara Doncker, further illustrating the tight familial and professional collaborations within Amsterdams publishing world.nGeographically, the chart spans the Indian Ocean and maritime Southeast Asia from the Cape of Good Hope to Japan, incorporating Madagascar, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, and the Banda Islands. The Australian coastline appears in a rudimentary form, reflecting Dutch discoveries of the early seventeenth century. Coastal outlines are enhanced with coloured borders, compass roses, rhumb lines, and soundings, adhering to the practical aesthetics of sea charts while serving a decorative function.nAs both a functional navigation aid and an artistic object, Donckers Pascaerte van Oost Indien exemplifies the craftsmanship of Dutch maritime cartography at its height, blending commercial, artistic, and familial networks in a richly illustrated vellum map of the East Indies.
Engraver: Leupenius, Johannes (16431693)
First published: Separate Publication. Amsterdam: Hendrick Doncker, 16??
Mapmaker: Doncker, Hendrick (1626-1699)
Notes: Purchase details (year)
Other states: One of three known states
Price: A320,000 plus gst
Primary Category: Southeast Asia
Purchase Reference: Insurance Ledger June 2015
Rarity: R1 Extremely rare – occasionally seen on the market
References: Simon Dewez descriptionnGünter Schilder and Hans Kok, Sailing Across the Worlds Oceans History & Catalogue of Dutch Charts Printed on Vellum 1580-1725 Brill (Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2019), 631, ill 7.42.
Sheet size (cm): 67×86
Technique: Copper Engraving on vellum
This state: ca 1658
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