"Sinus Omnium Sanctoru", Blaeu, Johannes

This impressive copper engraving shows Todos os Santos Bay (All Saints Bay) in northeastern Brazil. The map depicts a large fleet of Dutch ships entering the bay and locates several battle sites. It illustrates the region when the Dutch were attempting to gain control of the Portuguese colonies in Brazil and her lucrative sugar trade. In 1624 the Dutch captured and sacked the Salvador da Bahia and held it along with other northeast ports until it was retaken by a Spanish-Portuguese fleet. The city then played a strategically vital role in the Portuguese-Brazilian resistance against the Dutch in the 1630s. At bottom left, there is a large inset plan of Civitas S. Salvatoris (San Salvador). The map is adorned with a ribbon-style title cartouche and two compass roses. This comparatively uncommon map only appeared in the Americas volume of Blaeu's final atlas between 1662 and 1672. Latin text on verso.

References: Van der Krogt (Vol. II) #9855:2.2.

Condition: A

On a watermarked sheet with wide margins and full contemporary color. There is a hint of offsetting and printer's ink residue, and a 1.5" centerfold separation that has been archivally repaired on verso.