"Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabula", Hondius, Henricus

A boldly embellished map of the British Isles densely packed with information. The beautifully engraved map includes an inset of the Orkney Islands enclosed in a cartouche flanked by putti. The map is further adorned with sailing ships, mermaids displaying armorial flags and elaborate title and distance scale cartouches. This was one of several maps introduced by Hondius and Jansson in response to increased competition from their rival Willem Blaeu. This market pressure also resulted in the Hondius-Jansson atlas being issued in English, which was very unusual for Dutch publications of this period. Although dated 1631, this map only appeared in the Hondius-Jansson Atlas between 1633 and 1644. This example is from a scarce English edition.

References: Shirley (BI) #435.

Condition: B

Centerfold and 4.5" tear in lower left side, with old repairs.