Les Indes Orientales Suivant les Nouvelles Observations…

Fascinating map of Asia issued in Mandelslo’s Voyage de Perse.

This interesting map of the southern half of the Asian continent covers the region between the Persian Sea and Japan and south of the Caspian Sea. River systems and pictorial topography are heavily emphasized, with an otherwise indistinct political organization featuring numerous labeled place names and regions.

The islands of Indonesia are exaggerated in size – an inadvertent reflection on their economic importance to the European economy during the 17th and 18th centuries. The decorative cartouche also represents the wealth and exotic nature of the Far East, with images of elephants, porcelain, pagodas, and costumed natives.

The map was created by Pieter Van der Aa and published in Leiden in 1717 as part of Jean Mandelslo’s “Voyage de Perse aux Indes Orientales.” 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.