This map of Japan is based on the Blancus/Moreira type, which Sanson included in his small atlas of Asia. Sanson acknowledges the work of Cardim and German physician Bernardus Varenius in the title cartouche. Embellished with a strapwork cartouche and a drape-style distance scale. This is the second state, with plate number "13" engraved at top right.

Sanson's small maps from his L'Asie en Plusieurs Cartes..., first published in 1652 and engraved by A. Peyrounin, were copied several times by various map publishers. Johann David Zunners made copies of Sanson's maps for his German translation of Die Gantze Erd-Kugel in 1679. Johannes Ribbius and Simon de Vries published copies in 1682 and 1683, with new maps engraved by Antoine d'Winter. The plates were later sold to Francois Halma, who used them in 1699 and then again in 1705 with the titles re-engraved in Dutch. The titles on the d'Winter plates were re-engraved back into French, and then used by Nicholas Chemereau in 1715 and by Henri du Sauzet in 1738.

References: Hubbard #26.2; Pastoureau, SANSON III D; Walter #34.

Condition: A

A crisp impression with original outline color and later color in the cartouche, on a sheet with a bunch of grapes watermark and light toning that is mostly confined to the edges of the sheet.