A magnificent carte-a-figures, with the peoples of Asia depicted in the right and left borders, and vignettes of major cities to the upper border: Candy (Kandy), Calecuth (Calcutta), Goa, Damascus, Jerusalem, Ormus, Bantam (Banten), Aden and Macao.

First published as a loose sheet in 1617, Blaeu based it upon his magnificent wall map of 1608, which, in turn, drew on Hondius' folio map of 1606. It was subsequently incorporated into Blaeu's atlas from 1630 onwards.

The Blaeu family firm was founded by Willem Janzoon Blaeu (1571-1638) in 1596. He was eventually joined by his sons, Cornelius (1616-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). The firm became the most productive cartographic establishment in the Netherlands until it was destroyed by fire in 1672. The elder Blaeu initiated the great series of atlases that culminated in the "Atlas Maior", in which Joannes Blaeu incorporated much of the geographical knowledge bequeathed him by his father.

Hand-coloured double-page engraved map. Dimensions: 45.5 by 59 cm.

Koeman: 8000:2.