India quae orientalis dicitur, et insulae adjacentes

Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: Yes

Date Acquired: 6/4/2001

Dealers ID No.: M47/2

Description: This is the third and final state of Willem Jansz. Blaeus important map of the East Indies, India quae orientalis dicitur, et insulae adjacentes (India, so-called the East, and adjacent islands), published in the 1635 Latin edition of Atlas Novus. It is the most complete and refined version of a map that originated with Hessel Gerritsz, the Dutch East India Companys (VOC) first official cartographer. Gerritsz compiled the map in the 1620s using VOC charts and shipping records, but it was not published during his lifetime. After his death in 1632, Blaeu succeeded him as VOC cartographer, acquiring both his position and his copperplate.nIn this third state, the map is fully engraved and embellished. It now features a formal Latin dedication to Laurens Reael, former Governor-General of the VOC (161618), along with Blaeus signature and imprint. Decorative cartouches, scale bars, and compass roses have been added, enhancing the visual authority of the map and aligning it with Blaeus broader atlas aesthetic.nCartographic historian Günter Schilder identifies three distinct states of the map:nState 1 (View Record (#76)): Incomplete; titled is simply India, with no dedication, signature, or decorative elements.nState 2 (View Record (#121)): Intermediate version with full Latin title and a blank dedication cartouche; unsigned.nState 3 (this example):Final state with dedication to Laurens Reael and Blaeus name engraved; fully ornamented.nWhile based on Gerritszs prototype, Blaeus final version demonstrates refinements in engraving and cartographic detail. It incorporates major Dutch discoveries along the Australian coastline, reflecting the VOCs expanding maritime presence:n'' Jan Carstensz (1623)'' – west coast of Cape York Peninsulan'' Dirk Hartog (1616)'' – t Landt van Eendracht (Land of Eendracht) in Western Australian'' Leneart Jacobszoon (1618)'' – Mauritius (Willem River) in Western Australian'' Frederick de Houtman (1628)'' – G.F. de Wits LandnAlso marked is the 1622 wreck of the Trial, the first recorded European shipwreck on the Australian coast. The ship, under English East India Company captain John Brookes, was lost near the Montebello Islandsan event of significant historical importance that is clearly noted on the map.nTo the north, New Guinea is shown as a tapering landmass close to the Cape York Peninsula, with the connection between the two still ambiguous. This reflects lingering uncertainty from Willem Janszoons 1606 voyage aboard the Duyfken, during which he unknowingly became the first European to chart part of the Australian coast.nThis richly finished 1635 state exemplifies the fusion of exploration, commercial interests, and mapmaking artistry that defined Dutch Golden Age cartography. It served as a critical reference for European knowledge of maritime Southeast Asia and the early charting of northern and western Australia.

First published: Novus Atlas das ist Abbildung und Beschreibung von allen Ländern des Erdreichs, Amsterdam: Willem Jansz. Blaeu, 1634

Mapmaker: Blaeu, Willem Jansz. (1571-1638)

Other states: First 1634 (View Record (#76)), Second 1634 (View Record (#121))

Price: A18,000 plus gst

Primary Category: Southeast Asia

Purchase Reference: Letter 6 April 2001

Rarity: R1 Extremely rare – occasionally seen on the market

References: Simon Dewez, The Printed World III (Sydney: Gowrie Galleries, 2000), map 70, pgs 30-31. See also Simon Dewez, The Printed World II (Sydney: Gowrie Galleries, 1997), map 91, pg 20. Günter Schilder, Australia Unveiled: The Share of the Dutch Navigators in the Discovery of Australia, trans. Olaf Richter (Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1973), 322, map 40.

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: 1635, Third