This fine, scarce & beautifully hand coloured original antique map of the Spice Islands of the Dutch East Indies - Indonesia - was published by Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1718) in 1690.
The Maluku Islands (also known as the Moluccas, Moluccan & the Spice Islands) are an archipelago in Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Geographically they are located east of Sulawesi (Celebes), west of New Guinea, and north of Timor. The islands were also historically known as the Spice Islands by the Chinese and Europeans, but this term has also been applied to other islands.
The islands were once the only source of mace and nutmeg available to the lucrative European markets. Because of the high value that spices had, the control of the spice trade was the driving force behind most of the European expeditions into South East Asia and conflicts were common lasting over many centuries. This map shows the island chain from Ternate to Bacan with the locations of the Dutch fortifications.

Coronelli was one of the finest engravers & cartographers of any era, producing some of the most stunning work ever seen. This is evident in this beautiful map. He was a master craftsman with an eye for detail. You can feel the uncompromising accuracy & passion in his work when you study his maps & globes. (Ref Tooley M&B)

General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - white
Age of map color: - Early
Colors used: -  Green, yellow, pink, blue
General color appearance: -  Authentic
Paper size: - 19in x 13in (485mm x 330mm)
Plate size: - 12 1/2in x 9 1/2in (900mm x 620mm) 
Margins: - min. 1in (25mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

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