A beautiful hand colored 1746 map by Jacques Nicholas Bellin, spanning from the Korean peninsula and the coast of China, south to northern Australia and the still little understood New Guinea coast.  This map shows the area complex archipelagos, large islands and coasts from the best available knowledge.  Japan is shown in Bellin's distinctive style.  The map is centered around a striking compass rose, and decorated with a classic French cartouche.  Printed on fine laid (chain) paper.  One vertical and one horizontal fold as issued; excellent condition.  Map size: 11 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches.
 
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703 - 1772), was one of the most important cartographers of the 18th century, with a career spanning some 50 years.  Compared to earlier 17th and 18th century cartographic work, Bellin's maps focus on function and accuracy tending.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bellin was always careful to cite his references.  Despite his success, he did not always enjoy his work, which is described as "long, unpleasant, and hard".  In addition to numerous maps and charts published during his lifetime, many of Bellin's maps published posthumously with updates.