Arent Roggeveen (c. 1628–1679). De Cust van Westindien, Tusschen Rio Demarary en Rio d'Oroonque (The Guiana coastline). 1720

Arent Roggeveen (c. 1628–1679)De Cust van Westindien, Tusschen Rio Demarary en Rio d'OroonqueAmsterdam: Pieter Mortier, circa 1680–1700From Het Brandende VeenHand-colored copperplate sea chartSheet size: approx. 21 x 17 inches A dramatic and richly engraved sea chart of the Guiana coastline, this work by Dutch hydrographer Arent Roggeveen covers the stretch from the Rio Demerara to the Orinoco Delta, reflecting early Dutch interest in the northern rim of South America. Originally composed in the 1670s and posthumously published by Pieter Mortier, the chart served both navigational and colonial purposes during a period of intense European rivalry in the region. With a web of rhumb lines, decorated compass roses, and soundings along the coast, the chart reflects the baroque visual language of Dutch maritime cartography. Forts, rivers, and settlement sites are marked with precision and accompanied by Dutch place names, emphasizing this region’s importance as a frontier of Dutch West India