Old Map of Bali

Historical Background

This old map of Bali belongs to the eighteenth-century tradition of illustrated travel books associated with Jacques Nicolas Bellin. Its German title, Das Eyland Baly oder Klein Java, means “The Island of Bali, or Little Java”. The island is presented with south at the top, surrounded by coastal hatching and decorated with compass roses. A separate panel introduces a royal palace and a stepped temple, bringing architecture into the geographical picture.

Map Details

• Original title: Das Eyland Baly oder Klein Java
• Map design: After Jacques Nicolas Bellin
• Period: Mid-eighteenth century; related impressions are catalogued around 1750–1760
• Language: German
• Area shown: Bali, with portions of neighbouring Java and Lombok
• Orientation: South at the top
• Original technique: Copper engraving, with colouring

Bali Turned Southwards

The reversed orientation is one of the first things to notice. Java appears on the right of the sheet and Lombok on the left, rather than occupying the positions expected on a modern north-up map. The narrow southern peninsula reaches towards the top, while a small offshore island appears near the lower-right coast.

The map’s outline is an early interpretation of Bali rather than a modern survey. Rivers branch across the interior, mountains rise as individual shaded peaks, and clusters of trees fill the spaces between settlements. Coastal lines give the surrounding water a rippling effect; they are engraved decoration rather than measured depth contours.

Palaces, Settlements and a Temple

Red-roofed buildings mark settlements, while several sites are labelled Pallast des Koeniges, or “Palace of the King”. The names Stadt Baly and Coetenus preserve the vocabulary of the original sheet. These older labels make the map interesting to study without forcing eighteenth-century places into modern resort names.

The upper-right panel contains two architectural illustrations. On the left is a palace enclosure with a prominent entrance, subsidiary buildings and palm trees. Beside it stands a circular, stepped structure with stairways rising through successive tiers. These are historical European representations of Balinese architecture, included to inform and interest readers of travel literature.

Colour and Cartographic Ornament

A broad ribbon carries the title at the upper left. Two complete compass roses occupy the open water, with a third partly visible along the lower border. Their pink, green and blue points echo the colouring of the palace panel and the red-and-yellow outer frame.

The green island, small red buildings and warm paper give this antique map a particularly appealing balance of geography and illustration. Reproduced as a fine art print and supplied unframed, it makes a distinctive reminder of Bali for someone with island connections or memories of a visit.