Antique Map of Northern Africa by Sanson (1655)

Description: Antique map titled 'Partie de la Coste de Barbarie en Africque ou sont les Royaumes de Tunis et Tripoli et Pays Circomvoisins'. This map depicts North Africa with Malta and originates from 'Cartes generales de la Geographie ancienne et nouvelle', Paris, 1655. 

Artists and Engravers: Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600 - 1667) and his descendents were important French cartographer's active through the 17th century. Sanson started his career as a historian where, it is said, he turned to cartography as a way to illustrate his historical studies. In the course of his research some of his fine maps came to the attention of King Louis XIII who, admiring the quality of his work, appointed Sanson 'Geographe Ordinaire du Roi'. Sanson's duties in this coved position included advising the King on matters of Geography and compiling the royal cartographic archive. Sanson's corpus of some three hundred maps initiated the golden age of French Cartography.