Description: Map of the coastline and islands leading to the entrance to the Canton or Pearl River in southern China, taken from the 1757 Dutch edition of Antoine-Francois Prevost's (1697-1793) 20 volume "L'Histoire Generale des Voyages." The map, drawn by Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) and engraved by J. van der Schley, is in Dutch and French. The map's title is inscribed at the bottom of the page: "KAART van de EILANDEN aan den MOND der RIVIERE van KANTON, geschikt op de Waarneemingen der Zee-lieden, door N. Bellin." The inscription on the elaborate rococo-style cartouche on the lower right reads: "Carte des Isles/ qui sont a l'Embouchure/ de la Riviere de Canton/ Dressee sur les Observations/ des Navigateurs,/ Par N. B. Ingr. Ordre de la Marine./ Echelle/ Lieues Marines de France et d'Angleterre/ Schaal van Zee-Mylen, 20 in een Graad." The inscription on the upper left hand side reads: "PARTIE DE LA/ GEDEELTE VAN'T/ PROVINCE DE QUANG TONG/ LANDSCHAP QUANG-TON". The full plate mark is visible. Bellin was as important French cartographer who spent over 50 years at the French Hydrographic Service and was appointed the first "Ingenieur Hydrographe de la Marine" and later "Hydrographer to the King." Bellin is best known for his high quality sea charts and his finely crafted world maps for "L'Histoire Generale des Voyages."
Link to share this object record: https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2003.5 |