(China Atlas) Atlas Nuevo de la Extrema Asia o descripcion geographica del Imperio de los Chinas. Por el R.P. MARTINO MARTIONIO de la Compania de Iesu.

RARE SPANISH text edition of the First European Atlas of China. 15 of 17 engraved maps in original hand-color, and engraved title pages in original hand-color, heightened in gold. Original gilted velum covers pasted on19th century calf boards, with monogram.

 
There is only one edition of the Spanish text edition of China. This is the first western atlas of China, including sixteen engraved maps of Chinese subjects, and one general map of Japan, all in beautiful original outline hand-color.
The present work is based on the surveying and compiling work of Father Martinus Martini, the Jesuit Superior of Hangzhou.

"The maps are noteworthy not only for their accuracy, remarkable for the time, but also for their highly decorative cartouches featuring vignettes depicting regional Chinese dress, activities, and animals. In addition, it is one of the first true Sino-European publications, based on Chinese land surveys but presenting geographic data in a highly visual European cartographic format". - Reed & Demattè.

The title page has a facade with an opening giving a view of a landscape. In the foreground putti with a map and a globe, both of which exhibit a map of China.

The publication of the atlas of China seems to owe more to coincidence than to planning. In 1654, in the foreword to the Dutch edition of the atlas of Scotland, Joan Blacu announced that he was preparing town books of Italy, a volume of charts, and a volume of historical maps, and that these were delayed. But while he was working on these volumes, wrote Blaeu.
Father Martinus Martini had come from the Indies, bringing with him his sketches and descriptions of the Chinese empire. Martini persisted in his attempt to have Blaeu engraved and published these, so Blacu postponed the work on the other volumes to prepare the atlas of China, and published it about a year later.

Martinus Martini (1614-1661) began working in 1642 as a Jesuit missionary in various provinces of China. When he was ordered to Rome in 1651, he took with him more than 50 Chinese books and maps, among them a copy of the manuscript atlas of the Chinese provinces by Zhu Siben, compiled in 1311/12, with revisions from the printed atlas by Lo Hongxian (1555). Martini's ship was captured by the Dutch and brought to Java. Martini was sent to Amsterdam where he arrived in 1654. During the voyage to Europe aboard the Dutch East-Indiamen, Martini made a Latin translation of the text and wrote his own description of China. 

In 1659, Joan Blacu published the Latin translation, titled Sinicae historiae decas prima, separately without maps. The text in Blaeu's atlas of China is Martini's own account, written in the first person, of the geography and history, the manners and customs of the Chinese empire and its peoples.

Martini's atlas of China includes the following parts:
1. Engraved title page
2. Letter vpress title page (Edition B according van der Krogt.
3. Svmma Previlegii Ferdinandi III.
4. A general map of China (map 1- this map is missing).
5. A geographical description of the 15 provinces of China, each description preceded by a map of that province (maps 2-16). The map "Pecheli Sive Peking (2) is missing.
6. A geographical description of Japan with a map of Japan and Korea. (map 17).
7. Historiia De La Gyerra De Los Tartoros
8. A supplement to the geographical description by Jacob Golius, "Addiciones Sobre El Reyno Del Catay"

The atlas of China was published by Joan Blaeu in five different languages: Latin, French, Dutch, German, and Spanish. It was published separately and added as the sixth volume to the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the only difference being in the engraved title page. Title page 2:26B, was used for the separate editions of the atlas. The upper part has an allegory. Both title pages have the title of the atlas and the name of the author in Latin, but, strangely enough, the name of the publisher does not appear on the title page or anywhere else in the volume.