DESCRIPTION: An attractive, hand-colored antique map depicting the Asian continent from the Red Sea in the West to Java and the Moluccas in the South as far East as the Bering Strait. This old map covers Saudi Arabia, India, Iraq, Iran, the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Japan, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Malaku Islands ( Isles Moluques ), Phillipine Islands, Korea ( Coree ), Japan and Kamchatka. In South East Asia, New Guinea ( Nouvelle Guinee ) is elongated with an indistinct outline of its coasts stretching off the map, hinting at a connection with Australia.
Janvier further identifies the mythical 'Detroit du Nord ou d'Anian' off the easternmost point of the Asian Continent. Anian is generally considered to be an undiscovered land or strait in the extreme northwestern part of America. The earliest known reference to Anian is in the narratives of Marco Polo, who describes it as 'East of India'. In many early maps Anian appears as an imaginary proto-Bering Strait, the Strait of Anian, separating Asia from America as part of the Northwest Passage, which was hoped would shorten the passage to the riches of the orient. The concept of the Strait of Anian lingered on maps after the Bering Strait was explored by Vitus Bering in 1728, until the northwest coast of North America had been well mapped.
Title cartouche at right suggests the rich and exotic destinations on the map through a depiction of rugs and other riches along with incense burning in a large censer topped with a crescent signifying Islamic origin.
Published by Lattre as plate 24 in "Atlas moderne ou collection de cartes sur toutes les parties du globe terrestre ar plusieurs auteurs." Paris, 1762 with Royal Privilege.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1762
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Asia
BODY OF WATER: Pacific Ocean
CONDITION: Good.
On supple. age toned chain-laid paper with watermark. Single vertical fold with remnant of a printer's stub. Minor repaired separation at marginal centerfold.
COLORING: Outline hand coloring.
ENGRAVER: Lattre
SIZE: 17
" x
12 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 9
PRICE: $350
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