Myanmar, Burma, Arakan, Mrauk U Schouten / Decker, 1676, D´ Conincklycke Hoofstadt Arrakan

Large copper engraving with a panoramic view of Arakan (Mrauk U), the capital of the Kingdom of Arakan.

It was home to a multiethnic population, with the Buddhists making up the majority and the city of Mrauk U being home to mosques, temples, shrines, seminaries and libraries. The kingdom was also a center of piracy and the slave trade. It was frequented by Arab, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese traders.

Arakan is a coastal geographic region in southwestern Myanmar (Burma). Although Arakan is the historical name for the region, it was officially designated as “Rakhine state” in 1974 under a new administrative structure. It comprises a long narrow strip of land along the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal and stretches from the Naf estuary on the border of the Chittagong Hills area (in Bangladesh) in the north to the Gwa River in the south.

Copper engraving made by C. Decker, published in Amsterdam in 1676 by Jacob Meurs in "Oost-Indische Voyagie: Containing important incidents and bloody sea and land battles against the Portuguese and Makassares (...)", Wouter Schouten.

Very good condition. Sharp, dark print. Very beautifully hand-coloured.

Image 20,5x41.5cm, sheet 25.5x45,5cm