Acquired From: Leen Helmink
Colouring: Coloured
Condition: Very Good
Confirmed: Yes
Date Acquired: 26/6/2019
Dealers ID No.: 19037
Description: This richly decorated map of southeastern Africa and the western Indian Ocean was compiled by Petrus Plancius and engraved by Johannes van Doetecum. Published in Amsterdam around 1592, it formed part of Planciuss early campaign to promote Dutch maritime exploration of the East Indies.nThe Latin title translates as:nA depiction of the coastal regions of Manicongo, Angola, Monomotapa, Natal, Zofala, Mozambique, the Abyssinians, etc., together with the shallows and sandbanks nearby. Also the great island commonly called Saint Laurentius, otherwise Madagascar, considered among the largest in the entire Orient.nA Flemish theologian and cartographer, Plancius fled religious persecution in Brussels before settling in Amsterdam, where he emerged as a pivotal figure in navigation and cartographic publishing. With clandestine access to Portuguese nautical chartsthen the most advanced in Europehe acquired exceptional knowledge of sea routes to Asia. This expertise positioned him as a key adviser to the first Dutch expeditions to the East Indies and, later, as a founding geographer of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).nThis map was likely issued alongside Planciuss renowned Spice Map (see View Record (#72) and View Record (#376)), together forming a persuasive visual argument to attract political and financial backing for Dutch trade venturesefforts that culminated in the VOCs establishment in 1602.nBeyond its geographic detail, the map stands out for its vivid decoration. Five compass roses, stylised African animals, and shipsincluding one flying the Amsterdam flaganimate the composition. Sea monsters reinforce the blend of folklore and cartographic convention. In the lower right, a striking vignette depicts shipwrecked sailors attacked by giant lobstersa reference to the 1586 wreck of the St. Jacobus on the Baixos de Iudia between Mozambique and Madagascar. While the crew likely died from exposure or wild animals, the story evolved into maritime legend and was later reused in maps by Barent Langenes (Caert-Thresoor, see #285).
Engraver: van Doetecum, Johannes
First published: Separate Publication. Amsterdam: Cornelis Claesz., 1592
Image Size (cm): 55×38.5
Mapmaker: Plancius, Petrus (1552-1622)
Price: 122,000
Primary Category: Africa
Purchase Reference: Ledger 2022
Rarity: Only copy
References: Schilder recording 5 known copies (one of which was destroyed in World War II). Schilder, Monumenta Cartographica Neerlandica, vol. VII, 5.2.3.
Sheet size (cm): 55×38.5
Technique: Copper Engraving
This state: 1592
Website: Click here
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