1596 Deliniantur in hac tabula, Orae maritimae Abexiae, freti Mecani: al. Maris Rubri: Arabiae Freti Mecani: al Maris Rubri: Arabiae, Ormi, Persiae, Supra Sindam usque…

By: Jan Huygen Van Linschoten Date: 1596 (Published) Amsterdam Dimensions: 14.5 x 18.5 inches (36.8 cm x 47 cm) This is an authentic, antique map of the Indian Ocean extending from the horn of Africa, Cypress, and the Holy Land, through the Arabian Peninsula, Persia and India to the Bay of Bengal and Sumatra. The map was published in Amsterdam as part of Jan Huygen Van Linschoten’s Itinerario in 1596. This attractive map was derived from earlier Portuguese portolan charts of the 16th century. Not only does the lavish style with the inclusion of sea monsters, sailing ships, terrestrial animals, and an intricately detailed compass rose resemble that of such charts, but the geographical information obtained undoubtedly came from early Portuguese sources. The map depicts several areas with incredible accuracy for its era. One such area worth noting is the shape of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula which far more closely resembles the shape and size of modern maps than other examples