Asie par N. Sanson d'Abbeville Geog. du Roy

First edition of Sanson's map of Asia

Important map of Asia illustrating many aspects of classical European speculative cartography of Asia. The map is presented in an unusual projection, and centered on Tibet. It extends from Greece to the Kuril Islands and from the Arctic Ocean to New Guinea 

This is the first edition of Sanson's map of Asia, and differs from the 1669 edition in many ways. Korea for example is represented as an island and not as an elongated peninsula in the second edition.

The map contains many other geographical speculations. For example, America is separated from present-day Russia by the Strait of Anian. This strait would be the western end of the Northwest Passage so sought after by the explorers of the time.