Antique Print with four scenes of Japan by Van der Aa (1725)

Description: Plate 12: 'Chateau Osakka represente en petit - La ville d' Oenewarrimet avec son Chateau pres de la Riviere de Douy au Japon - Chateau de Firando au Japon - Daymats, Seigneurie et Chateau pres du fleuve Day au Japon.' (The Castle of Osaka - The town of Oenewarrimet with its Castle on the river Douy in Japan - Castle of Hirado in Japan - Daymats, Seignory and Castle on the River Day in Japan.) Four engravings on one plate. Extremely rare in this edition.

This plate originates from the very scarse: 'La Galerie Agreable du Monde (...). Tome premier des Indes Orientales.', published by P. van der Aa, Leyden, c. 1725. This famous work was published in 66 parts and is the biggest print / map book ever published. Van der Aa incorporated plates by other publishers such as Blaeu, Visscher, de Wit, Meurs, Montanus, Dapper, Halma, Mortier, Allard in this work and often added broad decorative borders. Probably the costliest and complete universal geographic work ever produced. It is said that only 100 copies were printed. Ref: Koeman Aa9; Phillips 2780 note. This map is a combination of 4 engravings first published in 'Gedenkwaerdige gesantschappen der Oost-Indische Maatschappy in 't Vereenigde Nederland, aan de Kaisaren van Japan.' by Arnoldus Montanus, 1669. The decorative border is printed seperately from the 4 engravings and is typical of this work by van de Aa.

Artists and Engravers: Pieter van der Aa (Leiden 1659-1733) was a Dutch publisher best known for preparing maps and atlases. The Galerie Agreable contains plates and maps by the best Dutch engravers: Luiken, Goeree, Mulder, Stoopendaal, Aldert Meijer, Romeyn de Hooghe, ao.