Isole Dell’ India cioe le Molucche le Filippine e della Sonda Parte de Paesi di nuova scoperta e l’Isole de Ladri nel Mare del Zud.

First edition of this rare, large scale c.18th hand coloured engraved map of the East Indies, with a prominently featuring northern Australia by Giacomo de Cantelli da Vignola (1643-1695), although dated 1683 within the title the map was published in 1685 by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi (1627-1691).

Superbly embellished by a rococo title cartouche surrounded by putti and three merman support the shell-like structure which adorns the lower left corner. The title explains that the map shows recent discoveries including ‘Isole de Ladri’ (Island of Thieves) in the south seas. Australia is named ‘Nuova Olanda’ and the northwest has the names Beach, Maleteur and Lucach which were derived from the scribed accounts of Marco Polo’s travels. As well as ‘Paese di Concordia’, meaning ‘Country of Concordia’, which refers to the discoveries made in 1616 by Hartog in the Eendracht. Other Dutch discoveries include those of Cartensz 1623 on Cape York and Abel Tasman 1644 on his second voyage. The Trial Islands, where the English ship the Trial was wrecked in 1621 are shown incorrectly placed off the northwest coast and New Guinea is shown separated from Papua (Iran Jaya) by a strait, an error that had existed since the 1590s.

From Rossi’s Mercurio Geografico overo guida Geografica in tutte le parti del Mundo, published in Rome.