Maps > Sea Charts(85 items) > Asia (7 items) 
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KEULEN, Johannes van (1678-1727)

Pascaert van de Zuyd Zee en een gedeelte van Brasil ...

Amsterdam: [1680]. Copper-engraved map, period hand-colouring in outline and with the cartouche fully coloured (expert restoration at sheet edges). Sheet size: 21 x 24 1/4 inches.

First state of Van Keulen's dramatic chart of the Pacific, here with beautiful period hand-colouring.

"This sea chart typifies the Dutch published image of the Pacific during this era. The southern Pacific contains the usual two islands of Magellan, along with the various landfalls of Le Maire and Tasman" (Suarez). Although centered on the Pacific, the map also encompasses all of North America, including a large depiction of California as an island, and most of South America. The present example is Burden's first state, issued in Van Keulen's 1680 Zee-Atlas and 1683 Zee-Fakkel.

The Van Keulen family were chart and instrument makers, and publishers of nautical textbooks, books on sea law, shipbuilding, almanacs and more. Founded by Joannes van Keulen (c.1654-1715), the firm remained in business for over 200 years.

Burden, The Mapping of North America II: 518; Clancy, The Mapping of Terra Australis 7.4; McLaughlin, The Mapping of California as an Island 76; Suarez, Early Mapping of the Pacific, pp. 94-95; Tooley, Australia 795; Wagner, Cartography of the Northwest Coast 443.

#25696$6,500.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A Large Draught from Benjar on the Island of Borneo to Macassar on the Island of Celebes

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition. Sheet size: 19 x 22 3/4 inches.

A very elegant sea chart of Indonesia's Java Sea from the celebrated Third Book of 'The English Pilot'

This very fine sea chart depicts the Java Sea, in the very heart of the Indonesian Archipelago. By the early eighteenth-century this area was well-known to mariners, having been extensively explored first by the Portuguese and later by agents of the Dutch East India Company (the V.O.C.). East Java is depicted in the lower left corner, and further east are the paradisiacal islands of Bali and Lombok. Following the chain are the islands of Flores and Sumbawa. Kalimantan, Borneo is depicted in the upper right of the map, and on the far right side is Celebes, on which the handsome title cartouche is featured. The sea is elegantly traversed by rhumb lines that radiate from compass roses.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-37; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19528$3,500.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A Large Draught of the North Part of China Shewing the Passages and the Chanells into the Harbour of Chusan

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition, apart from an expertly repaired centre fold, and mild creases where the map folded. Sheet size: 23 x 35 1/2 inches.

A very fine sea chart of China's Zhejiang Province, from the celebrated Third Book of 'The English Pilot'

This elegant and large sea chart captures China's modern day Zhejiang province. Located on the East China sea, just below the Yangtze Delta, this region was of major interest to European traders during the eighteenth-century. It features the major port of Zhousan (Chusan), and was the location of the entrance of the Grand Canal of China. The canal, construction of which began in the 5th-century B.C., was then the oldest and longest man-made waterway in the world, which allowed barges to travel hundreds to Beijing.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-36; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19538$5,000.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A Large Draught of the South Part of Borneo

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition apart from a skilfully repaired marginal split at the base of the centerfold and marginal soiling . Sheet size: 19 x 22 3/4 inches.

A very attractive sea chart of southern Borneo, from the celebrated Third Book of the 'English Pilot'

This very attractive sea chart depicts Kalimantan, now the Indonesian section of Borneo and the adjacent part of the Java Sea. While the delineation of the coast is geographically well assured, the interior of the island is shown to be virtually unknown. Inhabited by fierce indigenous tribes and exotic animals, agents of the Dutch East Indian Company, who then nominally controlled the coasts, were afraid to venture into the interior. Indeed, parts of Borneo have not even been fully explored to this day. The Java Sea is elegantly adorned with rhumb lines that radiate from a compass rose and from centerpoints placed on an invisible circle. A handsome title cartouche embellishes the lower left corner of the composition.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

National Maritime Museum (Greenwich), chart G258:2/17; Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-38; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19536$2,500.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A New and Correct Chart of Part of the Island of Java from the West End to Batavia with the Streights of Sunda

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition,apart from faint soiling in the upper left corner and expert repair to the centre fold. The chart has a few faint, contemporary mariner's manuscript notations. Sheet size: 19 x 22 3/4 inches.

A very elegant and highly important sea chart of West Java and the Sunda Straits, from the celebrated Third Book of 'The English Pilot'

This highly attractive sea chart depicts one of the most important trading areas of Asia. The Sunda Straits are today one of the world's most important shipping lanes, being one of the main routes between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The southern portion of the massive island of Sumatra adorns the upper right of the chart, while West Java figures in the lower left. Batavia, now the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, was then the nucleus of the trading empire controlled by the Dutch East India Company (the V.O.C.). The seas are elegantly traversed by rhumb lines, and highly detailed navigation information is provided for the benefit of mariners.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-31; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19533$3,500.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A New Chart of Part of the Coast of Coremandell from Aregon to Bimlepatam

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition apart from several skilful marginal repairs. Sheet size: 19 x 22 3/4 inches.

A very fine sea chart of the coast of Andra Pradesh from the celebrated Third Book of 'The English Pilot'

This very fine sea chart embraces the coastline of India's modern day state of Andra Pradesh. While visited by European traders, the region was in the eighteenth-century firmly under the control of the Mughal Empire. The fertile coastal plain, that lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is depicted. The sea is elegantly traversed by rhumb lines, and a handsome title cartouche bordered with a braided leaf pattern adorns the upper left corner.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-26; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19531$2,500.00
 
 
THORNTON, John (1641-1708) & Samuel (fl.1703-39)

A New Chart of the Coast of Orixa and Galconda

London: William Mount & Thomas Page, [1734]. Copper-engraved sea chart, in excellent condition apart from expert repairs to a tear in the bottom margin and a small loss in the lower right corner. Sheet size: 19 x 22 3/4 inches.

A very fine sea chart of the coast of Orissa from the celebrated Third Book of 'The English Pilot'

This elegant sea chart features India's modern day Orissa state. In the eighteenth-century this region, although visited by European traders, was still firmly under the control of the Mughal Empire. A relatively calm region of the Coromandel Coast, Orissa has long been celebrated for its Hindhu holy sites and magnificent temples. The various ports and fishing villages are labelled on the chart, and the sea is elegantly traversed by loxodromes and compass roses. A handsome title cartouche adorns the upper left corner.

In 1671, the London cartographer John Seller (fl.1664-97) commenced work on The English Pilot, a work that intended to challenge Dutch hegemony in the sea atlas market. Intended to be published in four books covering different regions of the globe, Seller published an uncompleted book on 'Oriental navigation' in 1675. Unable to continue this Herculean endeavour, Seller sold his rights to John Thornton, the official hydrographer to the English East India Company. Thornton took up the project with great fervour, publishing his first editions in 1689. Thornton did not publish his first edition of the Third Book, detailing navigation in the East Indies, until 1703. While Thornton largely based his charts on those of earlier Dutch cartographers, most notably those found in Pieter Goos' Zee-Spiegel and Lucas Janz Waghenaer's Mariner's Mirror, The English Pilot proved to be enormously popular. When John Thornton died in 1708, his brother Samuel took over the business and added to and modified existing charts. All four books were produced in editions until the 1760s, the Third Book ran into twelve editions up to 1761. The project succeeded in giving the English dominance in the sea chart market as the eighteenth-century progressed.

Cf. Phillips, Atlases, 4278-27; Verner & Skelton (eds.), John Thornton - The English Pilot: The Third Book (Facsimile 1703 edition)

#19530$2,500.00
 
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