This magnificent
beautifully hand coloured original antique World
Map - possibly the most famous and recognised of all
antique World Maps - was published by Joan Blaeu in
1637.
This map was was published in various Atlases and as a
single map by Willem Blaeu & the Blaeu family from 1606 until it was
superseded by Blaeu's Twin Hemisphere in 1662.
During its 56
year life the map went through four different changes,
editions or states.
States 1-3 are rare, this map, the 4th
edition, was published in the 1637 German edition of
Joan Blaeu's Atlas Nouvs.
This map is in fine condition with beautiful original
hand colouring, heavy clean stable paper and original
margins. (There have been 42 recorded sales of this
map since 1983 with the top price of $25,000 recorded in
2006)
Background. This beautiful World Map is one of the most famous
landmarks of the 17th cartography. Engraved and signed
by Joshua van den Ende, it first appeared as a separate
publication in 1606. In 1630 it was incorporated into
Blaeu's "Atlantis Appendix" and then into the "Atlas
Novus" in all subsequent editions until 1658. Its
influence was enormous, and it was closely copied by
some of the greatest Dutch cartographers, such as Pieter
Van der Keere and Jansson. Others, such as Hondius, were
forced to produce their own highly decorative maps to
compete.
Geographically, the map was a reduction of Blaeu's large
map of the world published in 1605. The charming
cartouche in the interior of North America mentions its
discovery by Columbus in 1492 and being named after
Amerigo Vespucci in 1499. There is some confusion in the
depiction of the landmass of the East coast of the
United States, probably as a result of Indian reports of
large bodies of water inland, almost certainly the Great
Lakes. California is correctly shown as a peninsula. The
Le Maire straits, separating Tierra del Fuego from South
America, copied from an earlier map by Hondius, are
clearly shown. In the north, a note beside "Nova Zembla"
in the Arctic declares that it was reached by Willem
Barents in 1596. In the Far East Korea is shown as an
island and northern Australia is shown without any
place-names.
Decoratively the most striking features of this map are
the magnificent and innovative panelled borders. The
upper border shows allegorical figures of the sun and
moon and the five known planets; Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn. Along the bottom border are
depictions of the seven wonders of the ancient world;
the hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus at Rhodes,
the Pyramids, the Mausoleum of Hallicarnansus, the
Temple of Diana, the Statue of Jupiter and the
Lighthouse at Alexandria. Running down the left hand
side of the map are representations of the four elements
(Fire, Air, Water and Earth) and on the right, the Four
Seasons.
(Ref: Shirley; Koeman; M&B)
General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Yellow, pink, red, blue, green
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 25in x 20 1/2in (620mm x 520mm)
Plate size: - 21 1/2in x 16 1/2in (545mm x 420mm)
Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None
To discuss please
contact me:
simon@classicalimages.com
61 (0)409 551910
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