Some of the famous Spice Islands are represented on these two fine and handsome charts. Both are filled with rhumb lines and much interior and coast detail including village names, mountains and rivers. The first chart shows the eastern half of Ceram with Banda, Kepulaun, Gorong, and more. A very beautiful compass rose lies in the ocean. The second chart details the entire island of Ambon, which in 1623 the VOC gained control over from the British. With a large inset of "Het Casteel Victoria met de Ring-Muur" and a fine compass rose. Valentyn was an important historian of the Dutch East India Company who is best known for Oud en Nieuw Oost Indien, a vast illustrated account of the Dutch trading empire in Asia. He twice traveled to the East Indies. In preparing this monumental work, he was given privileged access to the previously secret archives of the VOC, containing transcripts and copies of important earlier Dutch voyages. Both on large (20 x 16.5") sheets with slight variation in image size.

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Condition: A+

Beautiful, early impressions and fine outline color. Both on thick hand laid paper with wide margins and very large crown and fleur-de-lys watermark. The former with a couple very small insignificant spots.