Blaeu Brazil Map, Novus Brasiliae Typus, Antique Hand-Colored Map 1642
€ 6 250
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1642
Sheet size
50 × 59 cm (19.7 × 23.2 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
HP-089
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
Good condition for its age. Original central fold as issued. Light overall toning consistent with age. Some minor wear and faint staining in the margins. Edges slightly irregular. Colors remain strong and attractive. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
Brazil, a map titled "Novus Brasiliae Typus", published by Willem and Joan Blaeu in Amsterdam around 1642 in their atlas Toonneel des Aerdrycx. It is an original copper engraving with hand color in green, red and yellow.
The map shows the Brazilian coast from the south, with the Capitanias labeled along the shore, among them S. Vincent, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Porto Seguro, the Bahia and Pernambuco. Rivers run inland and a lake lies in the interior. The land is filled with scenes of native life and fauna: a group of figures dancing around a fire, a canoe carried on the shoulders of bearers, a rhea, an armadillo-like animal, an anteater and other animals, and a pictorial panel at the top that appears to show a lagoon.
The title cartouche at the lower left is held by two large native figures, one in feathers and the other carrying a basket on his head. A second cartouche at the lower center carries the scale, two compass roses and several ships and sea creatures fill the Atlantic, "Mar del Nort", and the Amsterdam imprint of Blaeu appears at the lower right.
