De Bry - "A Description of the Royal town of Kandy"- Original - 1605 - Sri Lanka

"A Description of the Royal town of Candy"

-Original Copperplate Engraving from 1605

-Johan Theodore De Bry

-Image 37 x 25cm

-Page 29x19cm (folded)

-Good condition, mild water stain to upper centre of images which could easily be repaired. Old ink stain to centre right of image. Small tear to centre fold at centre and bottom of map.

-Verso blank

This original engraving comes from part 7 of De Bry's Petits Voyages. This part described, amongst other voyages, the voyage of Joris van Spilbergen to Sri Lanka. Van Spilbergen left Veere, in the Netherlands, in 1601 with the ships Ram, Lam and Schaap and sailed to the East. Arriving in Sri Lanka he met with the King of Candy - Vimala Dharma Suriya. He negotiated a contract to trade in Cinnamon before returning back to Holland. On his return he wrote a description of the Island which is one of the earliest descriptions in the West.

Plate 7 - "Spilbergen's Description of the Royal town of Candy 1605" The text reads:

The Kingdom of Candy, lying in the kingdom of Sri Lanka, is the capital town of the might King Fimala, Darma, Suriada or Don Lean D’Austria de Colombo. Admiral Spilbergen was warmly received here as the king’s ambassador.

1: The Admiral is carried in a sedan Chair

2: A boat for crossing the River

3: The admiral is received by the king

4: The King’s men with their armaments and flash flying festively.

5,6,7: Through these two gates the Admiral is led to his lodgings

8: The King’s palace

9: The King’s inner court

10,11: The churches standing in the palace

12: Here is where water flows down from the Hill when it rains, forming a pool

13: The King’s pleasure house stands here

14: A Distinguished Colonel

15 & 16 A citizen and his wife

17: A slave, or bondsman who is recognised as his ear is cut off

18 & 19: Tents where the noblest people can rest from the sun