C17th depiction of Bohemia in the shape of a rose

A very rare and beautiful map of Bohemia depicted as a stylised rose. Prague is located at the centre, with Vienna, the main seat of the Hapsburg Dynasty, at the root. Outside the petals of the Bohemian provinces are leaves representing Moravia, Silesia, Meissen, Bavaria and Austria. Above the map is the motto of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor as well as King of Bohemia, 'Lustitia et Pietate' (Justice and Piety).

The map was drawn by Christoph Vetter and engraved by Wolfgang Kilian for Bohuslav Balbin's work of national history and geography 'Epitome Historica Rerum Bohemicarum'. The rose was a particularly important symbol for Southern Bohemia because the two most powerful local families used it: the Rozmberk's was red, the lords of Hradec black.