Beautiful Antique Facsimile (1870-1890) Hand Colored Engraving of America nova Tabula (new map of america)

By Guiljelmo Blaeuw

Marked:

AMERICÆ

Nova Tabula

Auct: Guiljelmo Blaeuw

A 1621

Size:

Sheet 19" x 24.5"

Plate Imprint 16.75" x 22.25"

Map Area 16" x 21.75"

Map State 3 facsimile copper engraving, hand colored with latin text.

This is one of the few maps of the Americas by this famous Dutch cartographer. The map itself is similar to Blaeu's wall map of 1608 with the additional discoveries of Henry Hudson in North America, and Tierra del Fuego with Le Maire Strait.

North America is divided into several large regions with very little cartographic information west of the Appalachians or north of 40 degrees latitude, including a complete absence of the Great Lakes. To fill in such a large blank space, Blaeu uses an inset map of Groenlan (Greenland), Islandia (Iceland), and the mythical island of Frislandia, which first appeared in the influential Zeno map of 1558.

The coastal outlines generally follow Ortelius and Wytfliet with nomenclature from a variety of explorers and colonists. In South America, the mythical “Parime Lacus,” can be found along the equator with the fabled golden city of Manoa or El Dorado nestled on its north shore. Cannibals depicted in Brasilia and giants in Patagonia are consistent with earlier works dating back to the 16th century by Linschoten and Munster.

Panels at sides, each with five portraits of the native inhabitants, were taken from John White (Virginia), Hans Staden (Brazil) and other early explorer's accounts. Across the top are nine inset views or maps of important cities and ports in the Americas including Havana, St. Domingo, Cartegena, Mexico City, Cusco, Potosi, I. la Mocha in Chile, Rio de Janeiro and Olinda in Brazil.

By: Willem Janszoon Blaeu

Date: 1635 (published) Amsterdam (3rd State)

Dimensions: 16 x 22 inches (40.5 x 56 cm)

Frame Dimensions: 24.5 x 29.25 inches (62 x 74 cm)

Gold colored wooden frame with museum quality glass.

There are 5 states of the map, as described by Burden:

State 1:  Blaeu uses the name Guiliel: Janssonius. 

No Straits of Le Maire (1617) (2 known examples--British Library and private collection)

State 2:  Straits of Le Maire added (1618)

State 3:  Name changed to Guiljelmo Blaeuw (1621)

State 4:  Engraved water around the ships and sea monsters in lower right part of map increased (1642)

State 5:  Sea area re-engraved with harsher straight lines

An essential map for collectors of 17th Century American maps.