Nicolas Sanson’s fine map of the East Indies extending from the south coast of China to the northern tip of the York Peninsula in Australia. It also includes much of southeast Asia and a portion of New Guinea. The island of Taiwan is featured near the top with a prominent Philippine Island group below. Published by Pierre Mariette in 1654, it would later be included in the first edition of ‘Les Cartes Generales de Toutes les Parties du Monde’ in 1658. It is engraved by Jean Somer.

Nicolas Sanson (1600-67) was to bring about the rise of French cartography, although the fierce competition of the Dutch would last until the end of the century. This shift in cartographic centres shadowed the relative fortunes of the two countries; France under Louis XIV was a growing power in Europe. Born in Abbeville, in the Picardy region of France, 1600, Sanson studied history and turned to cartography as a means of recording it. In 1630 he was made Géographe Ordinaire du Roi and was to become one of the tutors to Louis XIV. However, his future success was partly owing to the partnership he made with the publisher Pierre Mariette. In 1644 the latter had purchased the business of Melchoir Tavernier and helped Sanson with financial support in producing the maps for the planned atlas. In 1657 Pierre Mariette died, which delayed publication of Sanson’s atlas. However, his son, also named Pierre, co-published ‘Les Cartes Générales de toutes les parties du Monde’ the following year. It was the first folio French produced world atlas. Parry (2005) East Indian Islands S. 154; Pastoureau (1984) Sanson V A no. 12; Quirino S. 106; Shirley (2004) T.SAN-2a; Tooley, Australia (1979) 1111.