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Decorative map of Japan and Corai Insula (Korea). The map was used to illustrate the Dutch translations of the account of the voyage of William Adams to Japan in 1600. The cartouche depicts Adams' reception at the Court of the Shogun. Adams is the first reported Englishman to reach Japan, his Dutch ship the Liefde shipwrecked on the coasts of Kyushu in April 1600. Adams later became a trusted confidant of the Shogun, a hatemoto (Japanese nobleman) with numerous estates and a key link in the early Dutch and English East India Companies trade with Japan. He took a Japanese wife and lived a full and exciting dual life until his death in Japan in 1620. . Vander Aa was one of the most prolific compilers of information on the early explorations to America, Asia and Africa. In total, the work reached 130 narratives, which were offered in 28 8vo volumes. A finely executed copper plate engraving with decorative cartouche.
Pieter van der Aa (1659-1733) was a Dutch mapmaker and publisher who printed pirated editions of foreign bestsellers and illustrated books, but is best known for his voluminous output of maps and atlases. Van der Aa was born to a German stonecutter from Holstein. Interestingly, all three van der Aa sons came to be involved in the printing business. Hildebrand was a copper engraver and Boudewyn was a printer.
![Carte des nouvelles decouvertes dresseee par Phil. Buache… [with] Extrait d'une Carte Japonoise de l'Univers apportee en Europe par Kaempfer . . . [Bay of the West]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/84038.jpg)