“100 IMPORTANT ITEMS” - Kunstantikvariat Pama AS

11. GERHARD MERCATOR (1512 - 94)
“Septentrionalium Terrarum descriptio”
Contemporary handcoloured engraving, 37x39cm
AMSTERDAM (1595) - c. 1609 - 19
FAMOUS CIRCULAR POLAR MAP, ALSO DEPICTING
SCANDINAVIA AND PARTS OF AMERICA AND ASIA.
Clearly shown is the North Pole as the centre of the four streams. This
idea was not based on any exploration and one explanation is that it
goes back to mediaeval hand drawn T-O maps with Jerusalem in the
centre and that the world’s four great rivers each had their source in
Paradise. On the North Pole itself the map shows a mythical mountain.
This is the second state of the map after re-engraving to include
Spitsbergen and to changes of the shape of Nova Zemla. Shown is also
the Northwest Passage that influenced English explorers. Our example
is a French text edition page 41 published by the Mercator-Hondius map
publishing business founded in 1604.
A FINE EXAMPLE IN ORIGINAL COLOUR.
(Ref: W. B. Ginsberg “Printed Maps of Scandinavia and the Arctic 1482 - 1601”
Entry 33, fig. 33,3, “Old” Koeman Me23A, “Kompassrosen Orientering mot nord”
Nasjonalbiblioteket, Oslo 2009 , Kershaw “Printed Maps of Canada” 23C, P. Burden
“The Mapping of North America” 88, F. C. Wieder “The Dutch Discovery and mapping
of Spitsbergen 1596 - 1829“ no. 12)
28 000,-
(€3250)
16
www.antiquemaps.no
12. GERHARD MERCATOR - J. HONDIUS
“Polus Arcticus cum vicinis regionibus”
Contemporary handcoloured engraving, 13,5x18,5cm
AMSTERDAM 1607
FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL COLOUR.
The reduced North Pole map of the second state of Gerhard Mercator’s
“Septentrionalium Terrarum”, see the entry above. Though there are a
couple of noticeable differences. The map itself extends only down to
the Arctic Circle and the small inset maps at the top of the Faeroes and
Frisland have been reversed. Published in Mercator-Hondius “Atlas
Minor”, first edition with Latin text and no page number verso.
Excellent.
(Ref: P. Burden “The Mapping of North America” 154, Kershaw “Printed Maps of
Canada” entry 25a)
9 000,-
(€1045)