Music & Instruments · 17th century
€ 330
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Laid paper with typical age toning, light marginal wear, and some edge repairs; fine early impression with visible plate mark. The paper fair, but the Image itself very good and ready for framing.
Rare early 17th-century Dutch engraving showing a royal festival and equestrian tournament on the island of Bali – one of the earliest European images of Balinese culture ever printed. The scene depicts mounted horsemen performing mock battles before a royal audience, with musicians playing gongs and drums in the background. Seated spectators line the walled arena, while European figures watch from the right, recording the spectacle.
This engraving was published in the Dutch edition of Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s Itinerario, voyage ofte schipvaert naer Oost- ofte Portugaels Indien, printed in Amsterdam by Cornelis Claesz around 1598–1601. Linschoten’s detailed account of his travels in the East Indies introduced Europe to the customs, ceremonies, and landscapes of Asia, directly inspiring the founding of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
This engraving, together with the image of the King of Bali, represents the first European depiction of Bali and its people. The musicians with their hanging gongs are the earliest known European representation of a Balinese gamelan ensemble, making this a cornerstone image in the history of ethnographic illustration.
Condition:
Laid paper with typical age toning, light marginal wear, and some edge repairs; fine early impression with visible plate mark.
Framing tips:
Float-mounted in an ebony or dark teak frame with a light mat to echo the tropical subject. Ideal for pairing with the companion leaf showing the King of Bali.
Technique: Copperplate engraving with letterpress text on laid paper
Maker: After Jan Huygen van Linschoten, Amsterdam, c.1601
