China: Hondius, c.1628

Title: China Author: Henricus Hondius Date: c.1628 Medium: Hand-colored copperplate engraving Condition: Excellent Inches: 18 x 13 5/8 [Plate Mark] Centimeters: 45.72 x 34.61 [Plate Mark] Product ID: 222006 Desirable and influential map of China and surrounding areas including the China Sea, Japan, India, the Bay of Bengal, Mongolia, and parts of North America. Depicts the Great Wall of China as well as a galleon under sail and a Japanese sailing vessel. Text on verso in French. Henricus Hondius (1597-1651) was a Dutch cartographer, engraver, and publisher who is considered one of the most important mapmakers of the 17th century. He was born in Amsterdam, the son of the cartographer Jodocus Hondius, and he learned the art of mapmaking from his father. In 1606, he published his first map, a world map based on the work of Gerardus Mercator. This map was a great success, and it helped to establish Hondius's reputation as a leading cartographer.  Over the next few decades,