Guinee
Paris: Denys Thierry, 1683.
Miniature map. Uncolored copperplate engraving. Image measures 5 5/8" x 4". Sheet measures 8 1/8" x 5 3/8"
This miniature map of Guinea is from the original French edition of Manesson-Mallet's "Description de L'Univers." Major cities and rivers are labeled, and mountains are depicted pictorially. An elaborate title cartouche features two men with a chimpanzee, one holding a spear and the other a parrot. Additional decoration includes animals such as an elephant, lions, and birds, as well as a number of ships in the ocean. The map is in very good condition. Text on verso.
Allain Manesson-Mallet (1630-1706) advanced from his position of musket bearer under Louis XIV to eventually occupy the position of "maitre de mathematiques" to the French King. He was the author and engraver of "Description de L'Univers," a five-volume survey of the world that included maps of the ancient and modern world, star maps, illustrations of flora and fauna, and information on the customs, religion and government of the many nations included in the text. When it was published, the text was the largest and most comprehensive work of its type. Intended to entertain its readers, Mallet's "Description" is a time capsule of the 17th-century world.
Binding: Unbound
Language: English
Price: $150.00
Item #301600