Les Isles Philippines et celles des Larrons ou de Marianes, Les Isles Moluques et de La Sonde, avec, La Presquisle de l’inde de la Le Gange ou Orientale [The Philippine Islands and those of the Thieves or Marianas, the Moluccas and Sunda Islands, with the Indian Peninsula of the Ganges or Oriental]

Description

hand-coloured copper engraving.

Detailed map from ‘L’Atlas Curieux, ou Le Monde’, pl. 113, together with the text sheet on the Philippines.
Published in six annual instalments between 1700 & 1705, this map appearing in part 4, first
published in 1703 and re-isssued in complete Atlas format in 1705. An attractively engraved and
“uncommon map of South East Asia centred on the Philippines, with a legend and large cartouche.”
De Fer was one of the great map-producers of the 17th C. He became the protégé of Le Grand
Dauphin, Louis de France, son of the “Sun King” Louis XIV in 1689, and when the Duke of Anjou
(grandson of Louis XIV) acceded to the throne of Spain, de Fer was proclaimed ‘Geographer of the
King of Spain and of the Dauphin’, or again ‘Geographer of the Royal children’. De Fer, like the
other map-editors encouraged Royal propaganda in his publications, with such headings as
“This map that I distribute to the people displays the theatre of your victories.”