Antique Print of Macao by Van der Aa (1725)

Description: Print/scene: 'Makou, ville de la Chine.' (Macao / Macau, a Chinese city.) The scene illustrates the Portugese colony under attack by a Dutch fleet. Ships are shown in the harbor firing at the town, with a hillside fort in background responding. 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, 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 plate was originally published in: 'Gezandtschap der Nederlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie ... aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, den tegenwoordigen keizer van China.' (Nieuhof's China expedition from 1655-1657.) by J. Nieuhof, 1666.

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, de Hooghe, ao.