Nova et Accurata Japoniae Terrae Esonis ac Insularum adjacentium

Dutch Golden Age map of Japan and Korea (as an island). Shows the mythical Eso [or Yeso] Land and Company's Land to the northeast. The geography of these islands is based on a Dutch voyage of discovery by Maarten de Vries and Cornelis Jansz Coen in 1643 into the unknown waters north and east of Japan. They were the first Europeans to discover Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, and some of the first to make contact with the Ainu people of Hokkaido. Eso and Company's land are a fascinating amalgam of their discoveries, formed from confused sections of Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Hokkaido.



This map by Jansson is the first printed map to include cartography from the expedition of Vries and Coen, making it a vital addition to any collection of maps Japan or the Pacific. It is also one of the most iconic depictions of Korea as an island, a cartographic oddity which began to be corrected in the 1660s.



Rhumb lines, compass roses, and two elegant cartouches decorate the map, as do miniature vignettes of sailing ships and sea monsters.



Latin descriptive text on verso (image available on request). Coloured.