Linschoten’s Itinerario – The Book which Opened European Trade to the East  -  With important maps of the World, Asia and Japan”

Histoire de la navigation... aux Indes Orientales. Contenant diverses Descriptions des lieux jusques à present descouverts par les Portugais

Jan Huygen van Linschoten

Amsterdam - Evert Cloppenburgh – 1619

(2nd French edition)

Folio, (30 x 20cm approx ). 4 ff., 205 pp., 2 ff., 181 pp., 1 ff., 86 pp.,

Complete with three illustrated title pages, a portrait of Linschoten, 6 (of 6) maps and 36 (of 36) beautiful illustrations drawn by Linschoten and engraved by Johannes van Doetecum. The maps include Plancius’s famous world map and five maps engraved by Langren of South America, East Africa, West Africa, The Middle East and India, and a map of South East Asia which shows Japan in its “Shrimp” outline.  The plates include large folding plates of Goa and Terceira on the Azores.

Chapter 26 gives an extensive description of Japan including its climate, customs and trade. The skill of Japanese swordsmiths and artists is highlighted and the swords  high price in the west.

Later vellum binding with gold tooling. Text and plates Washed with good condition overall. Maps in good condition – area of repair to world map at upper centrefold with some facsimile repair. Stain to upper border of Middle East map.

This hugely important work was published after Linschoten's extended stay in Portuguese Goa where he worked for the Viceroy. Here Linschoten learnt much about the inhabitants and culture in the East which he used to  describe trade opportunities, with China, Japan and the Spice Islands. This information was hugely important and allowed the Dutch, and later the English, to break the Portuguese trade monopoly in the East.

Church states that "Fine copies of this work with all the Maps and Plates are extremely rare, for the reason that, the book was so popular for a century after its publication, that it was given to each ship sailing from Holland to India".

USTC - 10327720 – 3 copies in USA