A classic 16th century map of South America

LINSCHOTEN, Jan Huygen van.

Delineatio omnium orarum totius Australis partis Americae...
Amsterdam, c.1596. Coloured. 395 x 530mm.

Binding folds flattened, narrow lateral margins.

A highly decorative map of South America, engraved by Arnold Florent van Langeren for Linschoten's 'Itinerario', a manual for sailing to the East Indies. Orientated with north to the right, the West Indies and Florida are shown in some detail on the right; on the left Terra del Fuego, the landmass south of the Straits of Magellan, spreads out to fill the entire height of the map.

The map displays all the features that made this period the golden age of decorative cartography: the titles, in Latin and Dutch, are within strapwork cartouches, as is the scale; in the sea are a finely-engraved compass rose, sea-monsters and galleons. In the interior are vignettes of natives and animals based on de Bry.


Stock ID : 22752