A. La Grande Tartarie, by Nicolas Sanson, circa 1683 (9.9 x 7.4"). Attractive map of Siberia, northern China, and Korea, which is shown here as an island. The cities, mountains, forests and rivers are well-detailed. Siberia still reflects some of Ptolemy’s conceptions with the Island of Tazata and the Cape of Tabin in the extreme north. The map is decorated with a lovely title cartouche as well as a beautiful compass rose. Engraved by Antoine d'Winter.

Sanson's small maps from his L'Asie en Plusieurs Cartes..., first published in 1652 and engraved by A. Peyrounin, were copied several times by various map publishers. Johann David Zunners made copies of Sanson's maps for his German translation of Die Gantze Erd-Kugel in 1679. Johannes Ribbius and Simon de Vries published copies in 1682 and 1683, with new maps engraved by Antoine d'Winter. The plates were later sold to Francois Halma, who used them in 1699 and then again in 1705 with the titles re-engraved in Dutch. The titles on the d'Winter plates were re-engraved back into French, and then used by Nicholas Chemereau in 1715 and by Henri du Sauzet in 1738. Condition: A crisp impression on a watermarked sheet with marginal toning.

B. Great Tartary. With the Tract of the Moscovite Ambassador's Travels from Moscow to Pekin in China..., by Herman Moll, from Modern History..., dated 1732 (10.4 x 7.8"). This map of Russia shows the path of a Russian Ambassador who traveled from Moscow to Beijing. Interesting notations concerning the land and its people are provided, including one describing a nomadic group that neither "plow nor sow, but move from place to place." Reference: McCorkle (18th C. Geography Books) #348, Vol I [11]; Shirley (BL Atlases) G.SALM-1c #11 [sic]. Condition: A dark impression on watermarked paper.

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Condition: A

See description above.