1732 Brothers Korten Map of Siam and the Surrounding Region

Indies-Beyond-the-Ganges.

This elegant c. 1732 map of Southeast Asia was produced by Jonas and David Korten. The map represents a period of ascendency for the Siamese monarchy, but also a period wherein much of this region was forbidden to Europeans and so largely unknown.

A Closer Look

The cartography here dates to the 1685 Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont (1640 - 1710) Embassy, considered the first French embassy to Siam. Following the 1688 coup and change in the Siamese monarchy, Europeans were expelled from Siam, effectively turning the region into a cartographic dead zone. It was not until the 1821 John Crawfurd Embassy that the cartography of Siam was significantly updated.

Coverage embraces from the Ganges River Delta to the Strait of Malacca, separating Sumatra from the Malay Peninsula. The map includes all of southern Siam (Thailand), Laos, Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Malaya, Singapore, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and northern Borneo. Ayyuthaya is named (Juthia). While the overall mapping of the region is the product of modern, positivist mapmaking, Lake Chiamay has here been reinstated, albeit without the massive outflowing rivers associated with that phantom body of water.

Publication History and Census

This map was engraved by the Brothers Korte as early as 1732, probably for inclusion in their multi-volume Heutige Historie und Geographie. The map is a translation of Isaac Tirion's 1730 map, which appeared in his Hedendaagsche Historie. The separate map has only two listings in OCLC; likewise, we see no examples in dealer catalogs or auction records.

Cartographers

Jonas Korte (1683 - 1747) was a Protestant German bookseller, active in Hamburg and Altona. He worked with his brother David (no dates available) as the Brothers Korte (Bruder Korten). The brothers produced an array of histories, many of which contained maps; their output included Bibles and other religious works.   Further Details...

Isaak Tirion (1705 - 1765) was a Dutch publisher in Amsterdam. Born in Utrecht, Tirion quickly rose to prominence by publishing pamphlets, historical works, and most importantly, maps and atlases. He produced several atlases and Dutch town plans. His maps are mainly based on those of Guillaume de l'Isle. Tirion eventually relocated his printing house to the prestigious Kalverstraat. In his long career, he produced eight atlases in multiple editions, some of which were published posthumously until about 1784.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Left margin trimmed into border; margin reinstated with ms. border. Else very good.

References

OCLC 1162815508.