"Guinea", Blaeu, Willem

Elegantly engraved map covering the coast from Sierra Leone to Gabon. The land is filled with animals and the sea is decorated with ships and compass roses. The large title cartouche is flanked by two natives and topped by a very human-looking monkey. On the left of the title is a dedication cartouche to D. Nicolao Tulp, a famous Dutch doctor, and to the right two child-like sea creatures carry a large elephant tusk, representing the flourishing ivory trade. Latin text on verso describes the country, with page number 5 at upper left.

References: Goss (Blaeu) #63; Norwich #315; Van der Krogt (Vol. II) #8700:2A.

Condition: B+

A nice impression on a watermarked sheet with minor show-through of text on verso, a couple tiny spots, and two extraneous creases adjacent to the centerfold. There is a short centerfold separation at bottom that has been closed on verso with archival tape.