| Method | Copper engraved |
| Artist | Quad, Matthias and Bussemacher, Johann |
| Published | Johan Bussemecher excudit in Ubiorum Coloniae. Q. [Cologne, c.1600] |
| Dimensions | 210 x 290 mm |
| Notes |
An attractive quarto map of the continent of Africa, engraved by Johann Bussemacher for Quad's Geographisch Handtbuch. The continent is highly detailed, with numerous place names listed, and with rivers, mountains, and principal cities depicted pictorially. To the east, the Arabian peninsula is shown in full, as is Madagascar and the islands of the Indian Ocean. North, across the Mediterranean, the southernmost parts of Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Sicily, Italy, Sardinia, and Spain can be seen, and off the west coast, the Atlantic islands, including the Canaries, the Cape Verde islands, and Tristan de Cunha are plotted. The map is further embellished by a large and decorative circular strapwork cartouche enclosing the title. On the left side of the plate, an extensive Latin description of the history and geography of the continent of Africa reads vertically. Matthias Quad (1557-1613) was a Dutch-German cartographer, geographer, author, engraver, and publisher. Born in the Netherlands, Quad was one of a number of leading lights in the mapmaking community of Cologne at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Aside from working as an engraver for Braun and Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Quad also partnered with Johann Bussemacher in the production of a number of smaller scale atlases, inspired by the success of Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. The first, an atlas of Europe, was published in 1592. This was later expanded into the Geographisch Handtbuch of 1600, and finally the Fasciculus Geographicus in 1608. Johann Bussemacher (fl.1580-1613) was a German publisher, printer, art dealer, and engraver, active in Cologne at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. His is best remembered for a series of engravings of the Labours of Hercules after Aldegrever, and for preparing many of the map plates for three atlases he co-published with Matthias Quad. Condition: Strong impression with full margins. Central vertical fold as issued. Printers creases and general light creasing to sheet, particularly through text description at left and margin at right. Minor time toning and damp staining to edges of sheet, not affecting map. Small tears to edges of sheet, not affecting map. Blank on verso. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £500.00 |
| Stock ID | 43068 |