De Stadt KINNINGFOE The Citie

This fascinating copperplate engraving comes from a famous work originally published in Dutch by the trade diplomat Jan Nieuhoff, but translated into English by the British mapmaker and publisher John Ogilby. The images provide a document of early western contact with China and come from the account written by the diplomat Jan Nieuhoff who was the steward of the first Dutch trade Ambassadors to China. The Dutch East India Company was keen to persuade the Emperor to open up the Chinese ports to the Dutch, and Nieuhoff joined Pieter van Goyer and Jacob de Keyser on the mission to visit the Emperor Chun-Chi. The work includes many remarks on Chinese manners and customs, together with a second part comprising a general description of the Chinese Empire. The fine plates and illustrations show town views in China, Tibet and Tartary, together with subjects such as costumes and natural history. Atlas Chinensis is a superb work on China, noteworthy not only for text, bringing notice of the mysteries of the East to English readers, but for the magnificent engraved illustrations and plates.