Catalog Archive
Auction 142, Lot 675

"L'Afrique Dressee Selon les Dernieres Relat. et Suivant les Nouvelles Decouvertes…", Fer, Nicolas de

Subject: Africa

Period: 1717 (dated)

Publication: L'Atlas Curieux ou le Monde

Color: Hand Color

Size:
12.3 x 9.3 inches
31.2 x 23.6 cm
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This handsome little map is a reduced derivative of De Fer's wall map of Africa (1696-98) with its characteristic thickened west coast. Unusual islands appear in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans including a mythical second island of St. Helena. Monomotapa is shown in the south and the southwest coastline is distorted and there is an incorrect placement and shape of the Cape of Good Hope. In Central Africa is a paragraph concerning the origin of the Nile in Abyssinia, however, the two sub-equatorial Ptolemaic lakes are still shown on the map. The map is graced with a decorative dedication to the Dauphin and a title cartouche featuring lime kilns.

References: Betz #170.3; Norwich #64 (larger version).

Condition: B+

Issued folding, now pressed with professional repairs to several short fold separations. A binding trim at bottom left and resulting binding tear have also been professionally repaired. Bottom margin has been extended to accommodate framing.

Estimate: $500 - $650

Unsold

Closed on 11/28/2012

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