Giovanni Giacomo Rossi
74 x 61 cm
This spectacular map of Southeast Asia was compiled by Cantelli da Vignola and published by Giacomo de Rossi. Although some of the geography is recognisable from sources such as Dudley, Sanson and Nicolosi, the extraordinary portrayal of Australia or "Nuova Olanda" on this map is almost unique to this map. It resembles the old theory of the Great Southern Land and attempts to combine it with recent Dutch discoveries in the region, hence labelling this enormous landmass as 'Nuova Olanda', or New Holland, the old Dutch name for Australia. "Terra di Papous", modern Irian Jaya is marked as separate from New Guinea, an error initially made by Nicolosi.
Despite these geographical issues, the flamboyance of the engraving and the apparent craftsmanship makes this one of the few maps that competes aesthetically and geographically with the maps of the Dutch Golden Age for this region. The name of the engraver, Francisco Donia Messis, is present on the lower right of the map.
[SEAS5405]