An important vellum manuscript chart of the Dutch East India Company
An important vellum manuscript chart of the Dutch East India Company
An important vellum manuscript chart of the Dutch East India Company
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A CARTOGRAPHICAL RARISSIMA OF THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY<br />
by Pr<strong>of</strong>. Dr. Günter Schilder<br />
Chart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>India</strong>n Ocean with <strong>the</strong> coasts <strong>of</strong> <strong>East</strong> Africa, <strong>the</strong> Arabian Peninsula,<br />
Persian Gulf, <strong>India</strong>, South <strong>East</strong> Asia up to <strong>the</strong> western part <strong>of</strong> Java, part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
west coast <strong>of</strong> Australia and <strong>the</strong> islands in <strong>the</strong> <strong>India</strong>n Ocean. Middelburg:<br />
Abraham <strong>An</strong>ias, ca. 1730.<br />
Manuscript on <strong>vellum</strong> (calf), ink and various colors, c. 62.5 x 84 cm;<br />
Duijtsche Mijlen 15 voor een Graedt [100=67 mm] (ill. 1).<br />
A strip <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> left and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower margin has been cut <strong>of</strong>f because <strong>the</strong> <strong>chart</strong> has<br />
once been used as a bookbinding.<br />
Manuscript <strong>chart</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>India</strong> <strong>Company</strong> (VOC) are very rare. That a <strong>chart</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>India</strong>n Ocean by Abraham <strong>An</strong>ias from <strong>the</strong> VOC Zeeland Chamber appears on <strong>the</strong> market may<br />
be considered a truly exceptional event. This is all <strong>the</strong> more remarkable because so many <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> VOC’s original <strong>chart</strong>s have ei<strong>the</strong>r been lost or have long formed part <strong>of</strong> various public<br />
map collections.<br />
Despite being an anonymous <strong>chart</strong>, <strong>the</strong> characteristic depiction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compass rose and <strong>the</strong><br />
style <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> drawing and <strong>the</strong> lettering are unique for <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Abraham <strong>An</strong>ias (1694-1750),<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial examiner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> steersmen and <strong>chart</strong>-maker <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Zeeland Chamber <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> VOC<br />
(Nederlandse Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, i.e. <strong>Dutch</strong> United <strong>East</strong> <strong>India</strong> <strong>Company</strong>).<br />
As pro<strong>of</strong> serves a <strong>chart</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ari-atol in <strong>the</strong> Maldives Islands, kept in <strong>the</strong> Amsterdam<br />
University Library. That map is essential in <strong>the</strong> attribution <strong>of</strong> this <strong>chart</strong> to <strong>the</strong> cartographer,<br />
because it combines this compass rose with <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Abraham <strong>An</strong>ias (ill. 2).<br />
.<br />
The Zeeland Chamber was <strong>the</strong> second most <strong>important</strong> chamber in <strong>the</strong> VOC, after <strong>the</strong><br />
Amsterdam Chamber. In 1720 <strong>the</strong> Chamber <strong>of</strong> Zeeland appointed <strong>An</strong>ias as examiner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
steersmen, a position he held for thirty years until his death in 1750. His instructions that were<br />
issued on September 12, 1720 give insight in his responsibilities. .<br />
<strong>An</strong>ias’ expertise and cartographical knowledge were highly respected by his contemporaries,<br />
as demonstrated by a judgment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> famous <strong>chart</strong>-maker Johannes (II) van Keulen, who<br />
attributed <strong>the</strong> large overview map in <strong>the</strong> fifth part <strong>of</strong> his Zee-Fakkel (Sea-Torch, 1728) to<br />
<strong>An</strong>ias ‘tot een teeken van agting’ (‘as a sign <strong>of</strong> high esteem’), (ill. 3).<br />
On October 1, 1731 <strong>the</strong> Zeeland Chamber <strong>of</strong>ficially appointed Abraham <strong>An</strong>ias as her <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
<strong>chart</strong>-maker responsible to supply her ships with <strong>chart</strong>s, books and navigational instruments<br />
as specified in <strong>the</strong> new equipment list laid down in an <strong>of</strong>ficial resolution by <strong>the</strong> Gentlemen<br />
Seventeen (Heren XVII) on March 28, 1731, <strong>the</strong> “Lijste van de Kaarten en Stuurmansgereetschappen”.