Philippine Envoy to The Netherlands Ambassador Jaime Victor Ledda Donates 10-volume Philippine Arts Encyclopedia to University of Leiden Asian Library
By Sir Anton Lutter, KCR
The Hague-The Netherlands
June 4, 2018
The Asian collections of the University of Leiden belong to the foremost collections worldwide, containing the largest collection on Indonesia in the world; one of the leading Chinese libraries in the Western world and one of the largest collections on South East Asia in Europe. Next to that the library constitutes one of the four worldwide depositories of the Japan Art Catalogue project of the National Art Center of Tokyo.
One of the highlights of the exhibition was the more the 300 years old Murillo map, considered the first scientifically based map of The Philippines, compiled by the Spanish Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde and printed by the native Tagalog Nicolas de Cruz Bagay.
Far East map designed by Arnold Floris van Langren
An even older map showing The Philippines was displayed. This map, covering the entire Far East was designed by Arnold Floris van Langren and engraved by his brother in 1595 and “all taken from the most accurate sea charts and rutters in use by the Portugese pilots today”, is one of the earliest engraved maps presenting the Portuguese knowledge of this area. After the exhibition the University of Leiden hosted a special reception where the guests took the opportunity to meet old friends and university staff.