Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Oost Indien wassende-graade paskaart

Oost Indien wassende-graade paskaart

167?
Printed map on vellum
Amsterdam: Pieter Goos, [167-?]
Bequest of Sir William Dixson, 1952
Z/Cc 67/1

This rare sea chart extends from the Cape of Good Hope to the far east of Australia. It is based on an earlier map by Goos from 1658, thought to be the first to name all the Dutch discoveries in Australia, including those made by Abel Tasman during his voyages of 1642–43 and 1644.

This chart was designed as a showpiece, but less elaborate versions would have been used by the navigators of the powerful Dutch East India Company ships sailing between the East Indies and Europe. The fastest route to the East Indies was to travel south to the Cape and then sail east 3000 nautical miles with the Rroaring Fforties before turning north towards Sunda Strait and Java to Batavia (Jakarta). Without the ability to judge longitude with accuracy, a number of ships were wrecked on the west coast of Australia.

This chart's cartouches

This chart contains three ornate cartouches, their highly decorative style reflecting the baroque style of the time. The cartouche on the left states the location and name of the mapmaker. The two ornate cartouches along the base include the title of the chart and the description.

Cartouches

In mapmaking, cartouches are the elaborate decorations that frame map titles and other information such as a dedication, the printer's address, date of publication, the scale and legend.