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

World Map antique 1640 Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula auct: Guiljelmo Blaeuw [and] Africae nova descriptio [and] Americae nova Tabula [and] Asia noviter delineata [and] Europa recens descripta. 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 the Blaeu's large world map of 1605. The engraver Josua van den Ende signed in the lower right corner. The most striking characteristic are the superb border decorations. Along the top are allegorical of the sun and the moon and the known five 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 Rhodos, the Pyramids, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus at Caria, the Temple of Diane, 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 roses and numerous ships and sea monsters. It appeared in the Blaeu Atlas from 1630 until 1658. The map was replaced by a two hemispheres world map prepared by Willem's son Joan from 1662 onwards PRINTS INFO:• Fine reproduction printed with a Canon imagePROGRAF TX-4000.