The Extremely Decorative "Choirs Map" from Drayton's Poly-Olbion

"[Untitled - Glamorgan Shyre / Monmouth Shyre]", Drayton, Michael

This rare and unusual decorative map is from Michael Drayton's Poly-Olbion, a romanticized, poetic topography of England. The map covers southern Wales from Gower Peninsula to the Severn River. Affectionately nicknamed the "Choirs Map", it is perhaps the most elaborate of the maps from the publication, featuring a "jam session" between the orchestras and choirs of Wales and England along the shores of the Severn Estuary. Neptune, sea goddesses, and sea monsters fill the Bristol Channel. Shepherds stand atop the hills that dot the landscape, and numerous nymphs spring from the various rivers and waterways throughout the countryside.

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Condition: B+

A nice impression on a sheet that has been backed in archival tissue, repairing some small wormholes and short separations along the centerfold. There is a light dampstain that just enters map image at bottom left.