An early decorative map of Africa.
Jodocus Hondius
(1563-1612) was the founder of the famous 17th century Dutch map
publishing family. Hondius, along with sons Jodocus II and
Henricus and son-in-law Jan Janssonius, was prominent in Dutch
cartography and competed with the emerging Blaeu family map
business.
When Jodocus Hondius acquired
the copperplates of the Mercator atlas and decided to re-issue
them in 1606, he prepared this map for inclusion in his Atlas
sive Cosmographicae...... along
with the Mercator Africa map. This map is based on the
Mercator map of Africa but the coastline, particularly of
Madagascar, was considerably altered. Hondius also
provided more detailed information in southern Africa (he inserted Saldanha
Bay and Cape Falco and removed Ortelius' reference to Cayneca). Of particular interest, Hondius shows Portuguese exploration up the
unnamed Cuama (Zambezi) River into the interior of south
central Africa in the region of Monomotapa (Tooley, p. 54).
"Cast. Portugal" (the Portuguese
Fort) is placed on the map within the junction of the Spirito
and Cuama rivers.
This 1606 map was later changed and re-issued by
Hondius' son, Henricus, in 1631, at which time it ceased to be
used. This map is dated 1628 with French text on
verso (Koeman).
References: Norwich Map #27. Tooley, R.V.
Collectors' Guide to Maps of
the African Continent and
Southern Africa.
London: Carta Press, 1969. p. 53-54. Krogt, Peter
van der,.
Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici,
vol. 1. 't Goy-Houten:
HES Publishers,1997. p 711.
Very good condition. Slight, uniform age-toning of map.
Some thinness along lower portion of centerfold.
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