1635 Asia noviter delineata

This is a fine old color example of Blaeu's decorative map of Asia. The map presents many geographical and decorative aspects of this map worth noting. In the north the long-believed existence of the Northeast Passage is revealed as the land mass Nova Zembla is mapped with no east coast and a clear passage is shown to exist to the Anian Straight that opens to the Pacific. Korea is featured as an island just west of the abnormally shaped Japan. Much of the north and west coasts of the Spice Islands are mapped in detail while many of the south and eastern coasts are blank. This shows the extent of Dutch cartographic knowledge and their areas of occupation during the mid-17th century spice trade. Several indigenous animals are scattered throughout the map including an elephant just north of a large lake that was believed to be the source of the Ganges, when in actuality it was the Himalayas that had yet to be seen by European eyes. A Bactrian camel and its master can be seen just west of