Wholesale World Map antique 1640 | Vintage World Map | Old Map Print

Antique World Map 1640 A New Geographical and Hydrographical Map of the Whole World by Willem Blaeu [and] New Description of Africa [and] New Map of America [and] Asia newly delineated [and] Europe recently described. World 'Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis': Shirley describes this world map as a "classic single-sheet world map on Mercator's projection... celebrated as one of the supreme examples of the map maker's art." The map has been expertly reduced from Blaeu's large world map of 1605. The engraver Josua van den Ende signed in the lower right corner. The most striking characteristics are the superb border decorations. Along the top are allegories of the sun and the moon and the five known planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Down the sides are, on the left, four panels illustrating the elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth), and on the right, the four seasons. Along the bottom are seven vignettes showing the seven ancient wonders of the world: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus over the harbour at Rhodes, the Pyramids, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus at Caria, the Temple of Diana, the Statue of Jupiter, and the conical lighthouse of Alexandria." (R. Shirley, The Mapping of the World, Entry 255). The map has decorative cartouches for the title, dedication and explanation, two spheres for the north and south poles, a compass rose and numerous ships and sea monsters. It appeared in the Blaeu Atlas from 1630 until 1658. The map was replaced by a two-hemisphere world map prepared by Willem's son Joan from 1662 onwards. PRINTS INFO: • Fine reproduction printed with a Canon imagePROGRAF TX-4000.