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1636 Blaeu Map of China, Japan, and Korea (insular)
ChinaKoreaJapan-blaeu-1636$750.00
Title
China Veteribus Sinarum Regio nunc Incolis Tame dict.
1636 (undated) 16 x 20 in (40.64 x 50.8 cm) 1 : 11750000
1636 (undated) 16 x 20 in (40.64 x 50.8 cm) 1 : 11750000
Description
An important c. 1636 map of China, Korea, and Japan by Willem and Johannes Blaeu. The map covers East Asia from Lake Chiamay (apocryphal) to Japan and from Mongolia to the Philippines. Blaeu’s map represents the most complete illustration of China and East Asia in general available at the time.
Blaeu introduced this map in 1636. It was not significantly revised until the 1655 Blaeu/Martini map, which added substantial new information and attached Korea as a peninsula. The map appeared in various editions of Blaeu’s Le Theatre du Monde, ou, Nouvel Atlas.
Cartographic Context
Blaeu’s map represents the first major advancement over Abraham Ortelius’ map of East Asia published in 1584. It closely follows both Ortelius 1584 and Hondius 1606 with several major advancement attributable to Jesuit missionary activity in the region. Most notable is a far more sophisticated mapping of Korea. Although still an island, as introduced by the Hondius map, Korea has begun to take on a fare more accurate form. The peninsula’s squarish base attended by various islands would be followed by many subsequent cartographers until formally revised by D’Anville in the 18th century. Among other features the cartographer identified the ‘I. de Ladrones’ or modern day Jeju Island. Forher more Taiwan, her identified as ‘Pakan al I. Formosa’ is at last recognizable with three place names Gillira, Wanakn, and Taroan noed.Apocryphal Lake Chiamay
The mythical Lake of Chiamay appears a the western extreme of the map, roughly in what is today Assam, India. Early cartographers postulated that such a lake must exist to source the four important Southeast Asian river systems: the Irrawaddy, the Dharla, the Chao Phraya, and the Brahmaputra. This lake began to appear in maps of Asia as early as the 16th century and persisted well into the mid-18th century. Its origins are unknown but may originate in a lost 16th century geography prepared by the Portuguese scholar Jao de Barros. It was also heavily discussed in the journals of Sven Hedin, who believed it to be associated with Indian legend that a sacred lake, Mansarovar, linked several of the holy subcontinent river systems. There are even records that the King of Siam led an invasionary force to take control of the lake in the 16th century. Nonetheless, the theory of Lake Chiamay was ultimately disproved and it disappeared from maps entirely by the 1760s.Dedication to Theodore Bas
The lower cartouche is the coat of arms of Theodore Bas, a director of the Dutch East India Company or VOC, to whom the map is dedicated. Bas’ patronage would have been highly desirable to Blaeu, who needed the wealthy merchant organization’s patronage to both acquire the most up to date cartographic data as well as to sell his maps.Blaeu introduced this map in 1636. It was not significantly revised until the 1655 Blaeu/Martini map, which added substantial new information and attached Korea as a peninsula. The map appeared in various editions of Blaeu’s Le Theatre du Monde, ou, Nouvel Atlas.
CartographerS
Joan (Johannes) Blaeu (September 23, 1596 - December 21, 1673) was a Dutch cartographer active in the 17th century. Joan was the son of Willem Janszoon Blaeu, founder of the Blaeu firm. Like his father Willem, Johannes was born in Alkmaar, North Holland. He studied Law, attaining a doctorate, before moving to Amsterdam to join the family mapmaking business. In 1633, Willem arranged for Johannes to take over Hessel Gerritsz's position as the official chartmaker of the Dutch East India Company, although little is known of his work for that organization, which was by contract and oath secretive. What is known is his work supplying the fabulously wealthy VOC with charts was exceedingly profitable. Where other cartographers often fell into financial ruin, the Blaeu firm thrived. It was most likely those profits that allowed the firm to publish the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, their most significant and best-known publication. When Willem Blaeu died in 1638, Johannes, along with his brother Cornelius Blaeu (1616 - 1648) took over the management of the Blaeu firm. In 1662, Joan and Cornelius produced a vastly expanded and updated work, the Atlas Maior, whose handful of editions ranged from 9 to an astonishing 12 volumes. Under the brothers' capable management, the firm continued to prosper until the 1672 Great Amsterdam Fire destroyed their offices and most of their printing plates. Johannes Blaeu, witnessing the destruction of his life's work, died in despondence the following year. He is buried in the Dutch Reformist cemetery of Westerkerk. Johannes Blaeu was survived by his son, also Johannes but commonly called Joan II, who inherited the family's VOC contract, for whom he compiled maps until 1712. More by this mapmaker...
Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 - October 18, 1638), also known as Guillaume Blaeu and Guiljelmus Janssonius Caesius, was a Dutch cartographer, globemaker, and astronomer active in Amsterdam during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Blaeu was born 'Willem Janszoon' in Alkmaar, North Holland to a prosperous herring packing and trading family of Dutch Reformist faith. As a young man, he was sent to Amsterdam to apprentice in the family business, but he found the herring trade dull and instead worked for his cousin 'Hooft' as a carpenter and clerk. In 1595, he traveled to the small Swedish island of Hven to study astronomy under the Danish Enlightenment polymath Tycho Brahe. For six months he studied astronomy, cartography, instrument making, globe making, and geodesy. He returned to Alkmaar in 1596 to marry and for the birth of his first son, Johannes (Joan) Blaeu (1596 – 1673). Shortly thereafter, in 1598 or 1599, he relocated his family to Amsterdam where he founded the a firm as globe and instrument makers. Many of his earliest imprints, from roughly form 1599 - 1633, bear the imprint 'Guiljelmus Janssonius Caesius' or simply 'G: Jansonius'. In 1613, Johannes Janssonius, also a mapmaker, married Elizabeth Hondius, the daughter of Willem's primary competitor Jodocus Hondius the Elder, and moved to the same neighborhood. This led to considerable confusion and may have spurred Willam Janszoon to adopt the 'Blaeu' patronym. All maps after 1633 bear the Guiljelmus Blaeu imprint. Around this time, he also began issuing separate issue nautical charts and wall maps – which as we see from Vermeer's paintings were popular with Dutch merchants as decorative items – and invented the Dutch Printing Press. As a non-Calvinist Blaeu was a persona non grata to the ruling elite and so he partnered with Hessel Gerritsz to develop his business. In 1619, Blaeu arranged for Gerritsz to be appointed official cartographer to the VOC, an extremely lucrative position that that, in the slightly more liberal environment of the 1630s, he managed to see passed to his eldest son, Johannes. In 1633, he was also appointed official cartographer of the Dutch Republic. Blaeu's most significant work is his 1635 publication of the Theatrum orbis terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, one of the greatest atlases of all time. He died three years later, in 1638, passing the Blaeu firm on to his two sons, Cornelius (1616 - 1648) and Johannes Blaeu (September 23, 1596 - December 21, 1673). Under his sons, the firm continued to prosper until the 1672 Great Fire of Amsterdam destroyed their offices and most of their printing plates. Willem's most enduring legacy was most likely the VOC contract, which ultimately passed to Johannes' son, Johannes II, who held the position until 1617. As a hobbyist astronomer, Blaeu discovered the star now known as P. Cygni. Learn More...
Source
Blaeu, W., Le Theatre du Monde, ou, Nouvel Atlas, (Amsterdam: Blaeu) Latin Edition, 1636.
Condition
Very good. Original platemark visible.
References
OCLC 25779492.