Subject: Africa
Period: 1700 (dated)
Publication: L'Atlas Curieux ou le Monde
Color: Hand Color
Size:
12.5 x 9.1 inches
31.8 x 23.1 cm
This is the first state of De Fer's depiction of the continent. It features a thickened west coast that expands between the Cape and the Congo, based on his wall map of 1696-98. Unusual islands appear in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, including a mythical second island of St. Helena. Monomotapa is shown in the south. In Central Africa there is text 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 #170.1; cf. Norwich #64 (larger version); Pastoureau, FER I A #4.
Condition: B+
Contemporary outline color on paper that has been remargined on all sides. There is some light toning and a bit of staining along the map borders where adhesive was used to create the new margins.