De BRY, Johann Theodor, (1560-1623) and Johann Israel de Bry (1565-1609). Part II, Plate 02, What the Dutch Met at the Village Named Cermentyn. From the "Little Voyages"

De BRY, Johann Theodor, (1560-1623) and Johann Israel de Bry (1565-1609).  Part II, Plate 02, What the Dutch Met at the Village Named Cermentyn. From the "Little Voyages"

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Plate II, Was den HollaUndern bey einem Dorff Cermentyn
From Part II of Johann Theodor de Bry (1561-1623) and Johann Isreal de Bry's (1565-1609) Orientalische Indien (“Little Voyages”), Ander Theil der Orientalischen...Frankfurt: 1598 (first edition)
Engraving with original, early 17th century hand color heightened with gold on laid paper; paper dimensions: approximately: 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
Printed by Johan Saur
van Groesen 43

RECEPTION OF DUTCH SAILORS IN GABON

We see two Dutchmen being greeted by an African tribal leader. The Dutch ships are at anchor in the bay. The place depicted here is Cermentin, probably the present-day town of Abandzi in Ghana.

The print comes from a French edition of Jan Huygen van Linschoten's Itinerario. The illustra- tion itself, however, is a copy of a depiction from the De Bry brothers' Indiae Orientalis, volume II, published in Frankfurt. According to P.A. Tiele's Mémoire bibliographique, this edition was not printed in Amsterdam, but in Frankfurt by the publisher of De Bry's travel accounts. The text of De Bry does not indicate when this journey took place.

No indication can be found in De Bry's text as to what journey this depiction comes from or which Dutchmen are paying tribute to the ruler.*

Translation of text:

Title: First arrival of several Dutch in Gabon

Text: In this first figure is illustrated. After the Dutch shipped into the kingdom Guineam, in Ethiopia/ and reached the river Rio de Gabam/ and finally anchored at an island/ they met a Negro/ who brought them to an Indian hut or house/ where they found a great amount of Negros. When the Dutch settled down on several tree bark braided mats/ a Negro/ tapped them on the shoulder/ they/ turned around wondering what was intended/ and realized that they were introduced with the words Mani Gabam, to a Negro who was up high on a pedestal/ almost not moving like an engraved picture/ his body decorated with plenty of rings and necklaces/ and who was awful to look at. An old black woman was lying at his feet/ fanning him/ and waving away flies. Now that they knew/ that this is the chief of the island/ they rose up/ went over to him/ and fell on their knees/ and greeting as it is common in this land with a hand clap. When he returned with a sign of mercy/ with his hands/ they rose again/ and after they got several mats as a royal gift/ they left.

The description "the kingdom Guineam, in Ethiopia" can cause some confusion. The region being described here is not present-day Ethiopia, on Africa's northeast coast, but Gabon, on the west coast of Africa.

ENGRAVED PLATES FROM VOLUME II OF DE BRY’S ‘LITTLE VOYAGES’ OF THE EAST INDIES

Documenting the Asia Journeys of Van Linschoten. Featuring Depictions of Gabon, Mozambique, India, Ormus, Moluccas, and China

The Itinerario of Jan Huygen van Linschoten (ca. 1563, Haarlem - 1611 Enkhuizen) literally translates from the Latin as "travel report." It is the first Dutch description of a journey to the East.

Jan Huygen van Linschoten undertook the journey as commissioned by the Portuguese. Upon his return to the Netherlands after many years of travel, Van Linschoten chronicled his experiences. Jan Huygen wrote his travel report, which was published in 1596, in his hometown of Enkhuizen. In doing so he was assisted by Doctor Paludanus, a collector of rarities and curiosities, owner of a botanical garden, an encyclopedist of the newly discovered parts of the globe.

How did Van Linschoten find himself in Asia? Around 1579 the young man, 16 or 17 years old at the time, followed his two brothers to Seville, Spain. A year later he would move to Portugal, where, with his brother's help, he found a position as a clerk in the retinue of Vincente de Fonseca, the newly appointed archbishop of Goa on the west coast of India.

Van Linschoten would make his first journey in 1583, sailing to India with the archbishop's retinue. The journey gave him the opportunity to collect all sorts of information from various sources on the Portuguese empire in Asia: about products that were being traded, fauna of the region, customs and habits of the peoples; but above all Van Linschoten noted down information about the route to Asia.

In 1587 the bishop set out to return to Portugal to report on his activities. Jan Huygen van Linschoten stayed behind in Asia. He was thought to be collecting interest. He also cherished the hope that an occasion might arise for him to travel further east, to China and Japan. In 1588 he was informed that the bishop had died en route back to Europe.

He also heard that his brother's ship had been entirely lost. Jan Huygen van Linschoten suddenly became homesick and decided to himself return to Europe in 1589.

During a stop at Saint Helena, he met Antwerp- born Gerrit van Afhuijsen, who had been to the Maluku Islands (previously known as the Moluku Islands, currently part of Malaysia). He learned a great deal from him about trade in that region. At the next stop, the Azores, he was forced to stay for two years as the island was under siege by the English. He utilized this time to map out the city of Angra on the island of Terceira, as commissioned by the governor. In 1592 he arrived in Lisbon. In the same year, he started out for his homeland and settled once again in Enkhuizen, in what is now the province of Noord-Holland.

Jan Huygen van Linschoten's Itinerario appeared in print in 1596. Amsterdam resident Cornelis Claeszoon, the most important publisher of his time, published the book complete with six topographical maps, 26 illustrations of people and their customs and four prints of trees and fruits.

The 26 illustrations of Asian peoples and the four pictures of eastern crops are separately depicted in the book Icones, also published by Cornelis Claeszoon. These include depictions of Indians, but also of Moluku natives, Javanese and Malaysians. We do not know whether Van Linschoten himself encountered people from these last three population groups in India or whether he described them on the basis of other sources.

With the help of Van Linschoten's guide, four ships set sail on the first long journey eastwards in 1595 (De Eerste Schipvaert (The First Voyage) by Cornelis de Houtman).

*Research provided by Martine Gosselink, head of the History department at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands.

**Translated from original German by Karl Nesseler.

Description compiled by Erik Brockett who is pleased to provide additional information relating to this or other examples of the work of Johann Theodor de Bry available at Arader Galleries. He can be contacted at erikbrockett@aradergalleries.com