This is a very rare world map that is only found in a few Dutch bibles, made even more interesting by the fact that it is an oval shape, which was uncommon in maps published after the 16th century. This map was created by Danckert Danckerts, son of Cornelis Danckerts the elder. The majority of the map was copied from Arnold van Langren's 1594 oval map of the world (Shirley #186), which is in fact even rarer than Danckerts' map. Van Langren based his map off of Ortelius' third world map with a few updates -- notably the addition of a long, peninsular Korea, Novaya Zemlya shown as an island, and revisions to the shape of Japan, northeastern Canada, and New Guinea. Danckerts made further changes, omitting the large landmasses at the north and south poles, making Tierra del Fuego a separate island, and adding the Dutch discoveries along the southwestern coast of Australia and Tasmania. The map's title and decorative elements were borrowed from Nicolas Visscher's double-hemisphere bible map of the world, first published circa 1650 (Shirley #401). These include two celestial spheres that are displayed in the Eastern Hemisphere and allegorical representations of the continents as well as native inhabitants and wildlife surrounding the map. To balance the celestial spheres, Danckerts added two mer-putti holding a banner with his imprint in the Western Hemisphere. It is interesting to note that Danckerts also copied the updates to Australia and Tasmania from Visscher, but not any of the improvements that Visscher included in North America. Dutch text on verso.

The Danckerts family competed with the Visscher firm in producing maps for Dutch bibles, but as Visscher's work was more popular at the time, Danckerts' maps are not often found on the market. This is the second time we have offered this map, and we have found only 3 other examples offered on the market in the last 30 years.

References: Poortman & Augusteijn #97; Shirley #403 (A).

Condition: B

A crisp impression on a bright sheet, issued folding with soiling along the sides of the sheet. There are professional repairs to several minor holes and separations along the centerfold. The right and left sides of the sheet have been professionally remargined extending into the image between 1/8" to 1/2", with the image skillfully replaced in facsimile.