A finely engraved and detailed chart of Vietnam reaching to Macao and present-day Hong Kong..
Very rare: only included in the 6th volume (so-called secret atlas) of Van Keulen's.
Latitude scale, compass rose and system of rhumb lines, soundings, anchorage's, etc. Many Dutch names and a wealth of cities and information appear in the chart.
The van Keulen family operated a chart-making and publishing firm in Amsterdam for nearly 200 years. It was founded by Johannes van Keulen who registered his business as a "bookseller and cross-staff maker."
Under his management, the Nieuwe Lichtende Zee-Faakel (New Shining Sea Torch) was begun in 1681. It was expanded to five volumes, and finally to six volumes with the addition of material from the secret files of the V.O.C. (Dutch East India Company.)
This chart, much more detailed than the standard sold charts, was only published in the secret atlas of the East India Company for their own internal use around 1753.
COLLECTOR'S ITEM.