MOROCCO & CANARY ISLANDS SPAIN 1728 HOMANN UNUSUAL ANTIQUE COPPER ENGRAVED MAP

Statuum Maroccanorum, Regnorum nempe Fessani, Maroccani, Tafiletanin et Segelomessani Secundum suas Provincias accurate divisorum, Typus generalis novus, ex variis rectioris Geographiæ admincul depromptus et desidnatus a, Io. Shris. Homanno, M.D. Norimbergæ Anno 1728 Cum Privilegio Sac. Cæs. Majestatis. 

Description: Striking and highly detailed fine unusual 1728 Johann Christoph Homann's copper engraved map of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Johann Christoph Homann's map illustrates the area of present-day Morocco, split into the four kingdoms: Fessanum, Segelmeses, Marocca, and Tafliet. Further features include the Canary Islands, a small map of Madeira, and depictions of the cities of Marocco (Marrakesh) and Mequinetz.
 
In the north, the Kingdom of Fessanum, or Fez, was an important region during the medieval period, known for its cultural influence and the University of Al Quaraouiyine. Homann's map provides a detailed view of this region.
 
The southern Kingdom of Tafliet (Tafilalt) was home to the Alaouite dynasty. This region was a crucial area for trans-Saharan trade during the 17th century, which is indicated in Homann's depiction.
 
The Kingdom of Segelmeses is also present in Homann's map, and is referenced in a number of early travel guides of the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries.
 
Additionally, the map includes the Canary Islands and an inset map of Madeira. The Canary Islands, although closer to Africa, were politically tied to Spain and served as a stopping point for ships traveling to the Americas. Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago, was known for its strategic location and sugar production.
 
The title cartouche of the map contains traditionally costumed figures and animals such as an ostrich, lion, and snake, reflecting the European view of Africa. The figure carrying a gun might be an indication of the warfare of that era. An unidentified young ruler's portrait is included, suggesting the dynastic leadership of the region.
 
Views of Marrakesh and Mequinetz (Meknes) are drawn along the bottom.

Date: 1728 ( dated )

Dimension: Map size approx.: cm 61,4 x 54,1

Condition: Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains and wiremarks. Map old original colored. Wide margins. Small foxing and browning. Map folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images. 

Mapmakers: Johann Baptist Homann (March 20, 1664 - July 1, 1724) was the most prominent and prolific map publisher of the 18th century. Homann was born in Oberkammlach, a small town near Kammlach, Bavaria, Germany. As a young man Homann studied in a Jesuit school and nursed ambitions of becoming a Dominican priest before converting to Protestantism in 1687. Following his conversion, Homann moved to Nuremberg and found employment as a notary. Around 1693 Homan briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Afterwards he returned to Nuremberg where, in 1702, he founded the commercial publishing firm that would bear his name. In the next five years Homann produced hundreds of maps and developed a distinctive style characterized by heavy detailed engraving, elaborate allegorical cartouche work, and vivid hand color. The Homann firm, due to the lower cost of printing in Germany, was able to undercut the dominant French and Dutch publishing houses while matching the diversity and quality of their output. By 1715 Homann's rising star caught the attention of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the VI, who appointed him Imperial Cartographer. In the same year he was also appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Homann's prestigious title came with a number of important advantages including access to the most up to date cartographic information as well as the "Privilege". The Privilege was a type of early copyright offered to a few individuals by the Holy Roman Emperor. Though not as sophisticated as modern copyright legislation, the Privilege did offer a kind of limited protection for several years. Most all J. B. Homann maps printed between 1715 and 1730 bear the inscription "Cum Priviligio" or some variation. Following Homann's death in 1726, the management of the firm passed to his son Johann Christoph Homann (1703 - 1730). J. C. Homann, perhaps realizing that he would not long survive his father, stipulated in his will that the company would be inherited by his two head managers, Johann Georg Ebersberger and Johann Michael Franz, and that it would publish only under the name Homann Heirs. This designation, in various forms (Homannsche Heirs, Heritiers de Homann, Lat Homannianos Herod, Homannschen Erben, etc..) appears on maps from about 1731 onwards. The firm continued to publish maps in ever diminishing quantities until the death of its last owner, Christoph Franz Fembo in 1848.