Isles dela Sonde vers L’Orient Die Inselen von Sonte gegen Orient. Fig. LVI [The Sunda Islands in the East Indies]

Description

hand-coloured copper engraving map from ‘…Beschreibung des ganzen Weltkreises…, das alte & neue Asia… [Description of the Entire Globe…Old and New Asia]’ ; German edition of ‘Description de l’Univers’, [Description of the Entire Globe…Old and New Asia]’ ; vol. 2 of 5, pl. 56, original French ed: 1683.

Allain Mallet whose professional occupation was a military engineer, is known more for his authorship of the five volume “Description de l’Univers”, one of the earliest printed miniature, illustrated world history/geography books. It contains numerous decorative maps, views, portraits etc. This engraving shows the islands to the east of Borneo and Java, the southern part of the Philippines with Mindanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Celebes (Sulawesi) to the North and Timor and other eastern Sunda islands to the South. Decoration is provided by several galleons scattered in the ocean. There is a cartouche title in the lower right.