This fine beautifully hand
coloured original antique map of Spain & Portugal by
Gerard Mercator was published by Rumold Mercator &
Jodocus Hondius
in the very early 1607 Latin edition of Mercators
Atlas.
This map is magnificent with beautiful original hand
colouring. Original colouring such as this is scarce and
hard to find.
These maps, published in the early editions of Mercators
atlas, are 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.
Many of the original
charts and maps drawn by the first Portuguese and
Spanish navigators have survived for the very good
reason that, on completion of their voyages, pilots were
obliged to hand over their manuscript notes to the Casa
da India (founded 1504) in Lisbon or to the equivalent
Casa de Contrataci6n de las Indias (founded 1504) in
Seville. The clear intention was to maintain secrecy
over new discoveries and control over the distribution
of cartographic material, not always successfully, as it
happened; pilots and navigators seem to have changed
allegiance with impunity and, in consequence, many of
the earliest and most informative charts were compiled
as far away as Genoa, Venice, Florence and Ancona,
presumably from sources outside the Portuguese and
Spanish 'Casas'.It is apparent that few manuscripts
reached the printing stage and, indeed, are so rare that
any study of them must be regarded as a specialist
subject. (Ref: Koeman; Tooley; M&B)
Condition Report:
Paper
thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Yellow, red, green, purple, blue
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 20in x 18in (510mm x 430mm)
Plate size: - 20in x 16in (420mm x 380mm)
Margins: - Min 0in (0mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - Left margin cropped into border
Plate area: - Light creasing along centerfold
Verso: - Light re-enforcing along centerfold
If you wish to discuss this or any other item
please email or call...Simon
61 (0) 409 551910 Tel
simon@classicalimages.com
|