Antique Print of Bantam by Valentijn (1726)

Description: Decorative town-view of the town of Bantam (Banten). In lower margin key a-z to the principal places in town. The Banten Sultanate was founded in the 16th century and centred in Banten, a port city on the northwest coast of Java; the contemporary English spelling of both was Bantam. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati, who had previously founded Cirebon.

Artists and Engravers: Francois Valentijn (1666-1727), a missionary, worked at Amboina from 1684 to 1694 and 1705 to 1713 and travelled extensively in the territory of the Dutch V.O.C. He is best known for his monumental history and description, ''Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën'' which remains one of the most important primary sources for the East Indies and neighboring lands.