Exacta et accurata delineatio cum oranum maritimarum – 1595

by Jan Huygen van Linschoten Map from the “Itinerario. Voyage ofte Schipvaert”, published in Amsterdam, Netherlands (1596)
(RV7/17) framed 2019, ca. 39 x 52 cm

The Exacta et accurata delineatio cum oranum maritimarum is a 16th century map of China, Japan, Korea, Beach (region where Australia would eventually be discovered), Southeast Asia, Straits of Malacca, Borneo and Java. Published by Jan Huygen van Linschoten in 1596, Amsterdam, it is part of the ‘Itinerario: voyage ofte schipvaert’, the first publication of maps and detailed observations of the Far East to be prepared primarily from Portuguese sources. The Dutch used this information to help them establish their strongest base in the region, almost completely eliminating the Portuguese hold on the area and enabling the Dutch East India Company to amass vast fortunes in the 17th century. The map is primarily based on Linschoten’s research and documentation of the region, with extensive information on Goa, India (then the capital of the Portuguese State of India) where he was based for five years. Dubbed Key to the East, the Itinerario is considered among one of the most important sources of information on Southeast Asian geography of the 16th century.

The Exacta et accurata delineatio cum oranum maritimarum, oriented with the West at the top, displays a mix of ornate mythical cartographic details and contemporary Portuguese knowledge of the region. It is embellished with sea monsters, indigenous animals, two rose compasses, and sailing vessels. This particular map was also used by Pieter van den Keere (Petrus Kaerius) to produce the Insulae Philippinae, the first map to show the Philippine Archipelago alone on a single sheet. The Insulae Philippinaeh also shows the Philippine islands horizontally oriented, practically identical to how it is illustrated in the Exacta et accurata delineatio cum oranum maritimarum.

Condition

The 16th century map of Asia was presented to me framed but with noticeable folds and creases, most likely due to the usual practice of that time of folding or rolling maps for easier storage. The map is made of two sheets of paper, the left side noticeably darker caused by an overapplication of a binding agent such as alum. The acidity of the paper also caused the map to become brittle and fragile, with edges of the map either torn or missing pieces.

The map before restoration (frontside)

Backside of the map before restoration; it is badly stained from the previous backing board which is acidic (navigate to see more)

Treatment

Removal of Adhesives and Stains

The map was presented to me mounted on a mat board using regular clear adhesive tape. Combined with the acidity of the paper, the tape also caused discoloration to the surface and had it not been removed, would have damaged the map further. I used a small but very sharp one-sided knife to remove the tape and gently scratch off the sticky residues. I then used a suction table and applied hot distilled water using a thin and fine nylon painting brush to the surface to treat the stains and foxing.

The map being taped to the mat board

Cleaning

Before proceeding, it was important that all the hand-painted sections of the map were stable or would not bleed when immersed in the bath. Many historic maps are hand-painted with watercolor or other water-based pigments that wash off when the map is wet. Fortunately for much older maps, color pigments become permanent over time and are not easily washed off.

After cleaning process

I first immersed the map into a bath of bicarbonate water with oyster shell powder for 30 minutes and then into a second bath of plain distilled water. I floated the map around in the second bath then flipped it over 4 times to wash out any oyster shell powder residue. The treatment removed some stains and dirt residues, and the map was visibly cleaner. I then let the map dry face up on a clean thick white felt cloth.

Backing and In-painting

After drying, I placed it face down on a flat table with a thin rayon between the map and table top, then misted to flatten its folds and creases. Afterwards, I backed the map with 240 grade Usumino Washi, a thin and fine Japanese handmade mulberry acid free paper. I also added a small amount of oyster shell powder to the paste to serve as a buffer. I brushed cooked wheat starch paste diluted with water on the Usomino Washi on a flat surface and pasted it to the backside of the map, making sure to have removed any air bubbles. Lastly, I pasted the four edges of the map to a kaliberi, a drying or stretching board very similar to a japanese sliding paper door.

Creases and folds from earlier are now gone from the map

After the map was completely stretched and dried, I used toned down water color to fill in the missing and damaged areas so the in-painting sections would not stand out. Even the washi tape I regularly use for backing is either two shades lighter or as close to the piece’s color as possible to prevent it from drawing any attention.

Framing

My introduction to Japanese craftsmanship was in Tokyo learning all aspects of how to make frames, from crafting them from a piece of wood, up to the finishings such as staining, lacquer burning gold and silver leafing. Back in the late 1970’s most procedures were not automated and instead of using nails to join frame corners, I was taught to use a mortise and tenon or wooden splines. The discipline of my training was that presentation is everything so each step had to be done perfectly.

For this particular piece, it was crucial that I used the right type of frame and mat board that also both complemented the map. I used an 8-ply acid-free mat board for mounting since regular mat boards have a higher PH level of 8 and I wanted to avoid acidity contaminating the piece. I kept a gap between the map and the plexiglass because without the space, the high temperature and humidity in the Philippines is likely to cause the framed piece to stick to the glass in a couple of years. The backside of the frame also has a removable board to allow access for cleaning the inside of the plexiglass and for examining the piece’s condition every few years. The frame also had a larger window so more of the map’s edges could be shown as compared to the previous casing.

I also specifically chose plexiglass for the framing because unlike regular glass, plexiglass does not shatter when damaged. The specific plexiglass I used was Tru Vue plexiglass which is non-reflective and gives 99% UV protection. Plexiglass does however tend to attract dust and other indoor pollutants so for regular cleaning, it is best to use an antistatic acrylic cleaner and a microfiber cloth to avoid scratching the surface.