Antique Decorative Map of Moselle, France by Vuillemin, circa 1850

€ 250

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1850
Mapmaker / artist: Alexandre Vuillemin
Technique: Engraving with original hand coloring
Sheet size: 26.1 × 32.5 cm (10.3 × 12.8 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-13331-56

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Condition report: Very good condition. Minor age-toning near the edges. Light foxing in outer margins. Plate mark visible. No tears or repairs.

About this sheet

Original antique map of the historic French department of Moselle, published in Paris around 1850 by the distinguished French cartographer Alexandre Vuillemin.

The map was issued as part of Vuillemin’s celebrated decorative atlas La France Illustrée, admired for combining detailed regional cartography with elaborate historical and architectural imagery.

Roads, rivers, administrative boundaries, towns and villages are carefully identified, with the departmental borders enhanced in original hand coloring. The map presents the historic boundaries of Moselle before the territorial changes that followed the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. It is numbered 56 according to the departmental numbering system used at the time.

The decorative composition includes a portrait of Marshal Michel Ney, who was born in Sarrelouis in 1769, the historic arms of Metz, a view of the Pont des Basses-Grilles at Metz and a monument bearing the names of distinguished military figures associated with the region.

An attractive and historically important map for collectors of French cartography, Lorraine history, Napoleonic history and decorative nineteenth-century engravings.

This is an original antique engraving and not a modern reproduction. It is offered unframed.

Place of Publication: Paris, France

Source: La France Illustrée

Region: Moselle, Lorraine, northeastern France

Condition:

Good antique condition with general age-related toning, scattered foxing, small marks and minor wear, particularly in the surrounding margins. The original hand-colored boundary lines remain attractive and clearly visible. Wear is consistent with age and use. Please examine the images carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.