Java Minore

Benedetto Bordone, a Paduan-born miniaturist and illustrator active in Venice, is best known for his Libro nel qual si ragiona de tutte l’isole del mondo (Book of Islands), a landmark isolario first published in 1528. Drawing on classical geography, medieval travel narratives, and early exploration accounts, Bordone’s Libro catalogues 111 islands and peninsulas across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Oceans. His maps, while schematic rather than navigational, reflect a transitional cartographic vision, combining compact, stylised layouts with speculative elements characteristic of the early modern geographical imagination.

This map depicts Iava minore (commonly identified as Sumatra) alongside five smaller islands: Necumera, Mangama, Locaz, Patera, and Botegon. The orientation is rotated, with north positioned at right, marked by an arrow, and east at top, indicated by a cross. Locaz refers to Lochac, a kingdom described by Marco Polo and associated with the Southeast Asian mainland. One of five Southeast Asian maps in the Libro, it reflects early European attempts to reconcile classical lore with emerging maritime knowledge.

Within the collection, related maps include 13and 7