Blaeu's Stunning Carte-a-Figures Map of the Americas, "Americae Nova Tabula", Blaeu, Willem

Subject: Western Hemisphere - America
Period: 1638 (circa)
Publication: Theatre du Monde ou Nouvel Atlas
Color: Hand Color
Size: 16.2 x 21.8

This stunning carte-a-figures map is a superb example of the fine art of decorative cartography and a seventeenth-century European view of the New World. The coastal outlines generally follow Ortelius and Wytfliet with nomenclature from a variety of explorers and colonists. Panels at sides, each with five portraits of the native inhabitants, were taken from John White (Virginia), Hans Staden (Brazil) and other early explorer's accounts. Across the top are nine town plans including Havana, St. Domingo, Cartegena, Mexico City, Cusco, Potosi, I. la Mocha in Chile, Rio de Janeiro and Olinda in Brazil. This is one of the few maps of the Americas by this famous Dutch cartographer. The map itself is similar to Blaeu's wall map of 1608 with the additional discoveries of Henry Hudson in North America, and Tierra del Fuego with Le Maire Strait. This is the fifth state of the plate with the imprint changed to Auct: Guiljelmo Blaeuw and some re-engraving of the sea surrounding the ships and sea monsters. French text on verso, published between 1638-43.See also lot 713 for Philip Burden's reference work, The Mapping of North America, and lot 707 for Tooley's The Mapping of America which both discuss this map.

References: Burden #189; Goss (Blaeu) p. 156; Tooley (Amer) p. 297; Van der Krogt (Vol. II) #9000:2.
Condition: A
A crisp impression on a bright sheet with professional repairs to several separations along the centerfold and some minor chips and tears along the edges of the sheet. There are some creases along the centerfold that have been pressed flat.