Asia cum Omnibus Imperiis, Provinciis, S…

Large detailed, c.18th hand coloured engraved German map of Asia by Matthaus Seutter (1678-1756), decorated with an elaborate title cartouche at lower left, comprising oriental figures with a lion and elephant and another at top right, containing the title with allegorical representations of the continents.

The map includes the northern coast of Australia showing the first European discoveries made by the Dutch along the western side of the Gulf of Carpenteria.

Terra Yedso (Hokkaido) is represented here as a large landmass to the north of Japan (Honshu), with the two linked by a narrow causeway. A note states that Compagnie Land was discovered by Don Juan de Gama. One interesting feature of the map is the representation of Nova Zembla which, in contrast to most contemporary maps of Asia, is shown as a peninsula joined to the mainland. Witsen’s Caput Glaciale is also featured with a note stating that “it is not certain where it ends”. The “Novae Phillippinae Insulae”  are placed a little too far to the south of the Caroline Islands.

From, Seutter’s, Atlas novus : sive tabulae geographicae totius orbis faciem, partes, imperia, regna et provincias exhibentes, exactissima cura iuzta recentissimas observation.

Note this is the large format size of this map and not the much smaller one found in Seutter’s, Atlas Minor which is a quarter of the size.