"Les Deux Poles Arcticque ou Septentrional, et Antarcticque ou Meridional, ou Description des Terres Arcticques et Antarcticques...", Sanson/Mariette

The extent of polar explorations is the focus of this unusual map of the north and south poles. In the Northern Hemisphere, Greenland is depicted attached to the American continent, and three large islands comprise the Canadian Arctic. It is hinted that Terre de Yezo, ou Iesso takes up the entire North Pacific region between Buttons Bay and East Asia. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tip of South America is shown with the Strait of Magellan and Le Maire Strait. The balance of the map is filled with a large landmass labeled Terre Magellanicque, Australe, et Incogneue. Engraved by Jean Somer Pruthenus. This is the first state.

References: Kershaw #144, Pastoureau, SANSON V A #97.

Condition: B+

Contemporary outline color on a faintly toned sheet with the watermark of a bunch of grapes in a medallion. There is light soiling and a small square of old paper pasted in the top right corner on recto.