Detroit de Gallipoli
Paris: Denys Thierry, 1683.
Miniature view. Uncolored copper plate engraving. Image measures 5 7/8" x 4 1/4". Sheet measures 8 1/8" x 5 1/2".
This lovely miniature view of Hellespont, or the Dardanelles, is from the original French edition of Manesson-Mallet's "Description de L'Univers." Two insets depict the fortresses at Sestos and Abydos.
The Dardanelles is a narrow strait northwest of Turkey. Separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey, it also forms the continental boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia. Historically, the strait has been of great importance from a commercial and military point of view as it connects the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean and allows passage to the Black Sea. Today this narrow passage is considered to be one of the most difficult, crowded and hazardous waterways in the world.
The map is in good condition with minor aging. 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" was a time capsule of the 17th-century world that captured and displayed it in all its splendor.
Binding: Unbound
Language: English
Price: $165.00
Item #303238