This beautifully engraved hand coloured original antique
map of the Island of Ceylon - Sri Lanka was published in
the 1639 French edition of Mercator's atlas by Jansson and
Hondius.
These maps, published in the later editions of
Mercators atlas, are derived from the original maps
drawn and engraved by Gerald Mercator in the mid to late
16th century, published by his son Rumold as an atlas,
after his death, in 1595.
After two editions the plates were purchased by
Jodocus Hondius in 1604 and
continued to be
published until the mid 1630's when the plates were
re-engraved and updated by Jan Jansson and Henricus
Hondius.
Background: Maps of India
& Ceylon, much
distorted in shape, appear in most world atlases from the time of Ptolemy. The
earliest usually showing India as a relatively small extension of Southern Asia,
dominated by the very large island of Taprobana (Ceylon). In later
sixteenth-century maps de Jode, Ortelius and Mercator gave a much improved
outline of both lands but India was still shown too small in relation to the
whole continent. Most publishers in the seventeenth century continued to issue
maps but with little improvement in detail until about 1719 when a French Jesuit
priest, Father Jean Bouchet, compiled an accurate map of South India,
subsequently used by G. Delisle (1723), Homann Heirs (1735) and by J. B. B.
d'Anville, then the French East India Company's cartographer, as the basis for
his greatly improved maps in 1737 and 1752.
In the next decade Alexander Dalrymple published a collection of newly surveyed
coastal charts and plans of ports and, about the same time, in 1764, James
Rennell, a young British Army officer who showed a remarkable aptitude for
surveying, was appointed - at the age of 21- Surveyor General of Bengal; he
immediately set in motion a comprehensive survey of the Company's lands,
subsequently publishing maps of Bengal and other provinces which eventually
formed The &ngal Atlas (1779). His other works included a Map of
Hindoustan (1782-85) and The Provinces of Delhi, Agra etc and the Indian
Peninsula (1788-94). These maps by Reunell provided the basis for a
Trigonometrical Survey of India which was initiated in 1802 and for splendid
maps published in London by Cary, the Arrowsmiths (1804-22) and the Wylds.
Jodocus
Hondius (1563 - 1612), one of the most notable engravers
of his time, is known for his work in association with
many of the cartographers and publishers prominent at
the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the
seventeenth century.
In 1604
Hondius bought the plates of Mercator's Atlas which, in
spite of its excellence, had not competed successfully
with the continuing demand of the Ortelius
Theatrum Orbis
Terrarum.
To meet this competition Hondius added about 40 maps to
Mercator's original number and from 1606 published
enlarged editions in many languages, still under
Mercator's name but with his own name as publisher.
These atlases have become known as the Mercator/Hondius
series. The following year the maps were re-engraved in
miniature form and issued as a pocket
Atlas Minor.
After the death of Jodocus Hondius the Elder in 1612,
work on the two atlases, folio and miniature, was
carried on by his widow and sons, Jodocus II and
Henricus, and eventually in conjunction with Jan Jansson
in Amsterdam. In all, from 1606 onwards, nearly 50
editions with increasing numbers of maps with texts in
the main European languages were
printed.
(Ref: Koeman; M&B; Tooley)
Condition Report:
Paper
thickness and quality: - Heavy & stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Early
Colors used: - Yellow, pink, green
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 22 3/4in x 19 3/4in (580mm x 500mm)
Plate size: - 20in x 13 3/4in (500mm x 350mm)
Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - Light age toning
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None
If you wish to discuss this or any other item
please email or call - good luck, Simon.
Classical Images
61 (0) 409 551910 Tel
simon@classicalimages.com
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