Catalog Archive
Auction 126, Lot 750

"L'Afrique Dressee Selon les derniere Relat. et Suivenat les Nouvelles Decouvertes dont les Points Principaux Sont Placez sur les Observations de Mrs. de l'Academie Royale des Sciences", Fer, Nicolas de

Subject: Africa

Period: 1717 (dated)

Publication: Introduction a la geographie…

Color: Hand Color

Size:
12.5 x 9 inches
31.8 x 22.9 cm
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This handsome little map is a reduced derivative of De Fer's wall map of Africa (1696-98) with its characteristic thickened west coast. Unusual islands appear in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans including a mythical second island of St. Helena. Monomotapa is shown in the south and the southwest coastline is distorted and there is an incorrect placement and shape of the Cape of Good Hope. In Central Africa is a paragraph concerning the origin of the Nile in Abyssinia - however the two sub-equatorial Ptolemaic lakes are still shown on the map. The map is graced with a decorative dedication to the Dauphin and a title cartouche featuring lime kilns.

References: Betz #170.3; Norwich #64 (larger version).

Condition: A

Issued folding, now flattened with a tiny binding tear (barely entering the border at lower left) professionally repaired.

Estimate: $500 - $600

Sold for: $550

Closed on 12/3/2008

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