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BLAEU, Willem (1571-1638); TODESCHI, Pietro (17th cent.). I quattro continenti: Nova Acurata Totius

Americae Tabula [WITH:] Nova et Acurata Totius Asiae Tabula [AND WITH:] Nova et Acurata Totius Europae [AND:] Nova et Acurata Totius Africae Tabula [Bologna: Giuseppe Longhi, c.1673]. Scarce complete set, enhanced by historiated borders, of the famous series of the four continents first published by Blaeu in 1608 in Amsterdam, considered the masterpiece of Dutch cartography of the Gouden Eeuw . From 1594 to 1596 Blaeu was a pupil of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who had also taught Kepler; upon his return to Amsterdam, Blaeu founded the Officina Blaviana, specializing in the production and sale of maps, globes, and scientific instruments. He was assisted in the enterprise by the cartographer Hessel Gerritsz (1580-1632) and the engraver Joshua van de Ende. After the first edition in 1608, the four continents were subsequently published in 1612, and in 1624 they were reissued by Hendrik Hondius and in 1655 by Nicholas Visscher. In Italy, a version was published in 1646 by Stefano Mozzi Scolari (1598-1650), from whom Pietro Todeschi later derived this version. Between the two versions, the differences are minimal, but in this version the ' Mare del Nort' of Scolari's version becomes 'Mare del Noi'. The American continent is already well delineated here, although South America is undersized due to inaccuracies in the determination of longitude. The Canadian Atlantic coast follows the measurements of the voyages of Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua de Mons in 1604; Cape Horn is depicted following the discovery of the passage by Jacob Le Maire in 1616. South-eastern Australia and New Zealand appear in the Pacific, reached by Abel Tasman in his voyages of 1642-1644. The cartouches on either side show the coasts of the South Pole ('Terra Australis Incognita') and the undefined borders north of Canada. The map of Asia reflects the high interest the area held for Dutch trade and the Dutch East India Company (VOC), of which Willem Blaeu was official hydrographer. Java and Bali are drawn according to the travel accounts of Willem Lodewijksz (1560-1620), while Ceylon and the Maldives are derived from the descriptions of Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563-1611). The map of Japan is mainly based on Ortelius's map of 1595, and that of New Guinea is particularly advanced, thanks to information from the travels of Abel Tasman. The map goes so far as to represent the Red Sea to the west and even the Aegean Sea and the southern coast of Italy, while the Aral Sea is absent and the Caspian Sea undefined. The map of Europe is particularly geographically precise. The large cartouche in the Atlantic Ocean space presents a brilliantly executed double-hemisphere map by Hessel Gerritsz (1580-1632), surmounted by the arms of the city of Amsterdam, a reference to Blaeu's official privileges. On the north-western borders a part of North America is visible with the 'Terra de Labrador'. The map of Africa depicts European knowledge of the continent at the beginning of the 17th century, with the outline of the coastline well defined and rich in detail, while the interior is virtually unexplored. The sources of the great rivers, the Nile and the Zambezi, are still based on Ptolemy's descriptions and appear as lakes beyond the mythical Mountains of the Moon. Abyssinia is still the land of the mythical 'Prester John' of medieval chronicles. The primary geographical sources for the depiction of the coastline include Giacomo Gastaldi's 1564 map, Abraham Ortelius's 1595 maps, Duarte Lopes's Congo voyage reports (1591), and Luis de Texeira's up-to-date depiction of the Gold Coast. Each map is accompanied by historiated cartouches depicting the clothing and customs of the peoples of each continent, while at the base are views of the main cities, mainly taken from Braun and Hogenberg. The series, which is very scarce, exists in only two complete copies in this version on the Italian peninsula, likewise depicting the four continents between two cartouches: one at the Società Geografica Italiana in Rome and one at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. Other copies are at the Library of Congress (2 copies); Harry Ransom Center, UT, Austin; RGS, London; Lüneburg Museum, Germany; Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd, Amsterdam. 4 engraved maps, (1350 x 950 mm) printed on 4 sheets accompanied by side cartouches, all with contemporary mounting, framed (leaves browned, abrasions and chipping mainly affecting the map of Africa with some minor early repairs). Please contact the department for a detailed condition report (4)

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BLAEU, Willem (1571-1638); TODESCHI, Pietro (17th cent.). I quattro continenti: Nova Acurata Totius

Estimate 50 000 - 80 000 EUR
Starting price 50 000 EUR

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For sale on Wednesday 17 Jul : 14:15 (CEST)
milan, Italy
Wannenes
+390102530097
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