Matching Pair of Rare Coronelli Celestial Gores

"[Lot of 2 - Celestial Gores]", Coronelli, Vincenzo Maria

This pair of rare celestial gores shows Ursa Major with portions of Leo and Cancer. It also includes the no longer used constellation, Jordanus (the Jordan River) that flows beneath Ursa Major's feet. This constellation was invented by Petrus Plancius in the early 17th century, but was not adopted in the atlases of Johann Bode and fell into disuse thereafter. The constellation figures are boldly engraved and reflect the baroque style of the period.

Vincenzo Coronelli was a member of a Franciscan order in Venice and one of the greatest map and globe makers of the 17th century. In 1681, he was commissioned to build a pair of enormous globes for French king Louis XIV. He spent two years in Paris working on the project and was appointed Geographer Royal. He later made some scaled-down versions and published printed gores in several of his works. His celestial maps were influenced by the star catalogs of Bayer, Hevelius, and Halley.

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Condition: A

Fine, crisp impressions with margins trimmed but adequate for framing. There are a few minor spots of foxing at top and a printer's crease in the center of the second sheet, as well as tape residue in the bottom blank margins of both sheets.