Antique Print with four Japanese Views by Van der Aa (1725)

Description: Antique print titled 'Japonais voyageant a cheval au litiere et dans leurs navires. - Chariot magnifiques pour les dames nobles du Japon tirez par des boeufs. - Fayfena ou Brigantin des Japonais, dont la proue est comme la tete d'un elephant. Satyri sylvestris, Orang Outang dicti.' Original antique print with four different views. It shows Japanese travelling by horse, by bed-carriage and in their ships. - Magnificent carriage for the Japanese noble women pulled by oxen. - Japanese Fayfena or Brigantine boat, where the bow is shaped like head of an elephant. - Water Satyr and an Orangutan. 

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 3 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 3 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.