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Map of the Banda Islands

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Map of the Banda Islands

Vingboons, Johannes

This map of the Banda Islands shows the landscape of the islands and soundings of the water between the three central islands Lontor, Neira and the Gunung Api. In addition, it shows the shape and size of the nutmeg plantations (the ‘perken’) on the islands, which private individuals loaned from the Company, and where the nutmeg was cultivated with the help of slave labour. In reality, the outer islands Ai, Run and Rozengain are further away from the central islands than shown on this map. Likely, Vingboons combined various source maps into this one overview.

Other copies: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek: Van der Hem 40:18 and AB 300 kar. (The latter is not yet digitally available.)

Part of the Carte di Castello, collected by Cosimo de Medici III in 1667 and 1669 during his tours through Europe. Cosimo III bought the 66 watercolours by Vingboons in December 1667 in Amsterdam, through mediation of Pieter Blaeu.

Please contact Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana for reuse and copyrights.

Sources and literature

Corbellini, Sabrina and Cattaneo, Angelo, The Global Eye: Dutch Spanish and Portugese maps in the collections of the Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici (2019)