Pierre Duval was Nicolas Sanson's nephew and pupil. He published a wide range of atlases and individual maps including this fine miniature world atlas with many of the maps based on Sanson. This volume actually includes two of Duval's works, La Geographie Universelle, his world atlas with 82 copper-engraved maps, as well as Le Monde Chrestien, which features 16 maps showing the archbishoprics and bishoprics throughout the world.

La Geographie Universelle includes a double-hemisphere world map (Shirley #405), each of the continents and scores of country and island charts. Several maps show California as an island. Six maps related to the Americas are referenced by Burden: Amerique (#350), Carte de la Virginie (#341), Canada (#351), La Floride (#352), Nouveau Mexique (#353), and Terres Arctiques (#363). There are also terrific individual maps of Antarctica, Iceland, China, Maldives, Ceylon, the Philippines, Japan, Sicily, and many more. A separate title page, L'Europe II. Partie de la Geographie Universelle..., precedes the maps related to Europe.

The second portion of the volume is Le Monde Chrestien, which includes 14 maps related to Europe, a map of western Africa and Asia, and a map of central and South America.

Handsomely rebound with original leather covers, original red leather title label on spine, and marbled endpapers. Lovely new spine has four raised bands with gilt tooling.

References: Pastoureau, DUVAL XI Fa & XII.

Condition: A

The maps have excellent impressions on clean, bright sheets with very light toning along the centerfold of many of the maps. The map of Hungary has a large hole confined to the blank margin and the map of Flanders has a large spot of foxing also confined to the blank margin. An old library stamp ("Domus Lugdunensis Soc. Jesu") and a previous owner's signature in manuscript ink appear on the title page. The list of maps was professionally reattached. The binding is tight. The covers show light wear with bumped corners and the new spine is in excellent condition.