Asia Noviter Delineata

Issued in 1661, this previously unrecorded map of Asia represents the earliest known state of a plate later reissued by Carel Allard in 1679.

Until recently, the map was known only in its later Allard state, recorded in a single institutional example held by the National Library of Australia.

The present map establishes that the copperplate was originally engraved by Clément de Jonghe in 1661, as indicated in the cartouche at upper left, placing its origin nearly two decades earlier than previously documented and significantly revising the cartographic history of this important composition.

The map is of particular importance for its early and detailed representation of discoveries made during Abel Tasman’s second voyage of 1643–44, including the charting of the northern coastline of Australia.

It marks a formative moment in European understanding of the continent and reflects the rapid transmission of Dutch exploratory knowledge into printed cartography.

De Jonghe, a prominent Amsterdam engraver, publisher, and print dealer, played an influential role in the dissemination of geographic knowledge during the Dutch Golden Age.

Although best known for his activities as a publisher, this map confirms his direct involvement in cartographic production at an early and significant stage of his career.