The plate depicts the market in Goa, a region on the southwestern coast of India that was the center of maritime trade in Portuguese Asia.

Itinerario is a book that includes detailed descriptions and thirty-six engravings of Jan Huyghen van Linschoten's observations of Goa and other Asian cities and islands.

Itinerario includes text of descriptions of thirty-six engravings, as well as maps that shown ship routes that were used by merchants.

The book was translated into multiple languages, including English, French, German, and Latin by the 17th century.

[1] Upon returning to the Netherlands, Linschoten worked with the Dutch engraver Johannes von Doetecum to create thirty-six plates that would accompany the text of Itinerario.

"[1] The inequalities between slaves, merchants, and noblemen are evident based on their clothing (or lack thereof) and accessories.

Just off the center of the image, a group of Portuguese men, one a money exchanger, can be seen sitting around a table, protected by parasols, and listening to a crier auctioning off what appears to be a cloak.

[1] To the right of the porters, a crier auctions off a small dark-skinned child and a naked woman to a gathering of Portuguese men.

Linschoten's observations were considered to have "high empirical content" and are an example of the mapping impulse common by the Dutch.

Based on the ethnic clientele of Goa, it is plausible that Linschoten could have seen all the figures, fauna, and flora that appear in the plates.

However, based on the diaries of Linschoten and the text accompanying the plates, it appears he did not visit all the locations of the objects in the prints.

[1] He may have spent time conversing with the diverse folk at the market and not only traded for goods but also knowledge of the geography and ethnography around Goa.

It is unlikely, based on his lack of formal art training, that Linschoten could create a sketch with a composition so balanced.