Description
original outline hand-colour copper engraving.
RARE large impressive map from the “Atlas Nouveau” in 9 volumes, pl. 40. This is a large map of China and Southeast Asia, centered on the Philippines. Shown the area around Shanghai, China in the North to Sumatra, Java, Timor and the North tip of Australia, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The enterprise of Covens & Mortier was the successor to the publishing empire built by Frenchman Pierre Mortier (1661 – 1711). Upon Mortier’s death, his firm was taken over by his son, Cornelius Mortier (1699 – 1783). Cornelius married the sister of Johannes Covens (1697 – 1774) in 1721 and, partnering with his brother in law, established the Covens and Mortier firmin the same year; it survived 140 years (1721-1866), located at Vijgendam near Amsterdam/Netherlands. Cornelius and Pierre republished the works of the great 17th and early 18th century cartographers De L’Isle, Allard, Jansson, De Wit, and Ottens among others. They quickly became one of the largest and most prolific Dutch publishing houses of the 18th century.
