This
beautifully hand coloured original
antique map of Morocco and surrounding countries on the NW corner of Africa including the
Canary Islands - with an inset view of Peñón de Vélez de la
Gomera a Spanish Territory in Morocco - was
published in the 1611 Latin edition of Mercators Atlas
published by Henricus Hondius and Jan Jansson.
An early
map of Northwest Africa in which the cities of Fez and
Marrakesh are prominently displayed. The region shown is
now an area primarily encompassing present day
Morocco. The Canary Islands, known in the time of
Ptolemy as the Fortunatae Islands, are illustrated in
the bottom left corner.
The Portuguese and then Spanish controlled cities of
Ceuta, Penon de Velez, etc. are shown along the
Mediterranean coast. The farthest southerly point shown
on the coast is Cape Bojador; Cape Bojador was assumed
to be the farthest navigable point down the west coast
according to Claudius Ptolemy and other cosmographers.
The Portuguese, under Prince Henry, rounded Cape
Bojador after numerous attempts in 1434. There is an
inset view of Penon de Velez in the upper left of the
map. Within the Atlantic are the Canary or Fortunate
Islands and Madera, discovered or, more accurately
re-discovered by the Portuguese in the 1400s.(Ref:
Koeman; M&B; Tooley)
Condition Report:
Paper
thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Yellow, pink, green, blue
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 21 1/2in x 17in (550mm x 435mm)
Plate size: - 19in x 14in (485mm x 355mm)
Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - Light creasing along centerfold
Verso: - None
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