La Ville d’Amboine Capitale des Iles Molucques

Transfixing view of one of the Dutch East India Company’s first headquarters in the Spice Islands.

The island of Ambon was first discovered by the Portuguese in 1512 on a mission of discovery to the fabled Spice Islands of Indonesia. It was captured by the Dutch in 1605, and shortly became the temporary headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

This print shows the primary island settlement under Dutch control, with a variety of sailing vessels in the foreground. Dense forests and rugged mountainous terrain in the background give some indication of the physical difficulties encountered by its European colonists.

The view was created by Pieter Van der Aa and published in Leiden in 1717 as part of Jean Mandelslo’s “Voyage de Perse aux Indes Oritentales.” This epic travelogue details the voyages of Jean-Albert (Johan Albrecht) Mandelslo – a German diplomat who traveled to Russian and Persia in the late 1630’s on a political mission for the Duke of Holstein but was separated from his group.

He would carry on through India, Ceylon, and Madagascar before returning home to write about his travels. Information on the Far East, including the Spice Islands, was included in the publication, but garnered from other sources.