Very rare print of the naval battle off VOC Fort Zeelandia, during the siege of 1661-1662 and the takeover of Formosa by the pirate Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong).

It was the first Chinese military victory over a western power, caused by the negligence of the VOC authorities in Batavia.

Olearus has copied the image from t' verwaerloosde Formosa, [Neglected Formosa], the extremely rare book published in 1675 on the loss of Formosa, written by the VOC governor of Formosa Frederick Coyett. The book gives a detailed day-by-day account of the siege and the defeat, as well as the unwillingness of the VOC to provide him with the much needed naval and military support.

Hugely outnumbered and besieged by Koxinga's army, the Dutch battalion at Fort Zeelandia managed to hold out for more than a year, because of the efffective design of European fortresses.

Antique maps of the East India Company
Old Master Prints
Antique maps of China