China 1598

Title: ‘ CHINA’ Regio Asia’ . Map from  1598 by Pieter van den Keere, Cornelis Claesz., Barent Langenes

[China, region of Asia].
- Published in: Caert-Thresoor (Middelburg : Barent Langenes, 1598). - 1 map : copperplate printing ; 8.5 x 12.5 cm.
- 150 Milliaria Germanica = 1.5 cm.
- North at the top.
- Orientation on top: Septentrio.
- Latitude coordinates marked on a meridian in the Pacific.

First state, published in Thrésor de chartes. Frankfurt/Main : Matthaeus Becker II for Hendrick Laurensz. Ca. 1609 (Page 51 from French edition)

China is presented here in the wider context of East Asia, stretching east to a part of America, and including Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and India. The pro- file of the coasts and most names follow closely Plancius’ 1594 world map. The name Tauxem for Korea (from its Chinese “Chaoxian”, Korean “Joseon”) was also first seen on Plancius’ 1594 map (Shirley 2001, 187).
In the empty sea separating Asia and America, a caption describes Chinese peo- ple as ingenious, and deeply dedicated to a wide range of activities.
The map gives two names to the capital city: Xuntien (Shuntian) and Quinzai, the great city described by Marco Polo, which later was identified with contempo- rary Hangzhou. Some elements seem to be taken from the Ruggieri map through the 1594 Plancius map, such as Seuchin (Zhaoqing), and the first Catholic church in China mainland, called Ecclesia Patrum Societatis (Church of the Jesuit Fathers). In fact, the Plancius 1592-94 Insulae Moluccae map also has Seuchin marked as Iesuitarum Ecclesia (Schilder 2003, 117-119. Another feature that links this map to the Ruggieri map, again through the Plancius 1594 world map, is that the Great Wall is shown stretching too far to the east, even beyond Korea.

Ref: Van der Krogt 341:13, Map 8 from ‘Regnum Chinae: The Printed Western Maps of China to 1735’ , Marco Coboara