The most famous of all cartographic curiosities is the Leo Belgicus, in which the Low Countries were depicted in the form of a lion. This curious form of cartography is one of the highpoints in the Golden Age of mapmaking. This wonderful, miniature version of the Leo Belgicus is based on the original 1583 Aitsinger form with the lion standing facing right with a paw raised and holding a shield. It is beautifully engraved with a stippled sea filled with ships, a sea monster and a compass rose. The De Bello Belgico, written by Famianus Strada, a Jesuit and teacher at the Collegium Romanum in Rome, was a pro-Spanish and pro-Catholic book on the Dutch war of independence. Published in Antwerp by Joannis Cnobbari.

References: Tooley (MCC-7) #17.

Condition: A

Minor toning with margins professionally extended to accommodate framing.