[East Asia] Carte des Indes et de la Chine dressée sur plusieurs relations particulieres rectifiées par quelques observations

Book Description

Paris: Chez l'Auteur sur le Quay de l'Horloge, 1705. Engraved with period outline colour. Two joined sheets of laid paper. Excellent condition with upper margin close shaved, small area of expert restoration to upper right corner, old folds. 25 5/8 x 26 3/8 inches. Second state of an important early map of India, China, Japan, Indonesia and the Phillipines by the celebrated French cartographer, Guillaume de L'Isle. Guillaume de l'Isle (1675-1726) was the son of a cartographer and a pupil of Jean Dominique Cassini, who, among other important contributions, aligned the study of astronomy to the study of geography. Under Cassini's direction, observations were made from locations all over the world that enabled longitudinal calculations to be made with much greater accuracy. De L'Isle carried on this exacting work with remarkable dedication and integrity, constantly revising and improving his maps. While precision was his primary goal, his maps are invariably elegant and attractive. This fine map is a wonderful example of De L'Isle's artistry and fascinating early map of India, China and Indonesia. It covers a large area stretching from the Caspian Sea and the Maldives in the west to New Guinea and Japan in the east.From India to Japan, we find striking improvements over the Dutch maps of only one generation earlier. Moreland and Bannister, Antique Maps p. 132; Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers, 395

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