In the 18th century, cartographers liked to include engravings of spheres and globes in their general atlases, as astronomy and the knowledge of the planets had become fashionable and a major part of the new-found discoveries in the "Age of Enlightenment." This engraving shows at left a terrestrial globe centered on the eastern hemisphere, featuring the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. At right is a celestial globe featuring the constellations of Ursa Major, Perseus, Gemini, Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo and others. The map (10 x 8.7") is flanked with text panels at both sides that were printed on separate sheets and pasted on, all surrounded by elaborate borders printed from a separate plate that include scenes of cherubs, globes, instruments, etc.

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Condition: B+

Nice impression with fine contemporary coloring, light soiling, and a bit of extraneous creasing. There is an archivally repaired tear adjacent to the centerfold and a stain in the bottom margin.