Description
This map is a striking example of mid-17th-century Dutch cartography, produced during a period when Amsterdam dominated global mapmaking. Attributed to Johannes Janssonius, the sheet focuses on the Caribbean basin and Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, the Yucatán Peninsula, and Central America, rendered with dense coastal detail and an intricate web of rhumb lines radiating across the sea.
The composition balances technical precision with visual drama. Elaborate cartouches with cherubs frame the title and scale, while compass roses and sailing ships animate the surrounding waters. Political boundaries are absent in favor of coastlines, ports, and navigational reference points, underscoring the map’s original purpose as a maritime and commercial tool rather than a decorative wall piece.
Printed from engraved copper plates and hand-colored, the map shows age-appropriate toning, edge wear, and softening consistent with a sheet that has survived nearly four centuries. These characteristics reinforce its authenticity and historical presence rather than detract from legibility. Place names, coastlines, and decorative elements remain clear enough for study and display.
Best suited for collectors of early maps, maritime history, or Dutch Golden Age material, this work reads as an intellectual artifact first and a decorative object second. Framed or stored in archival conditions, it functions as a tangible record of how the Americas were understood, navigated, and represented in the 1600s.
Specifications
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Title: Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali
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Cartographer: Johannes Janssonius
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Date: circa 1653
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Medium: Engraved map with hand coloring on laid paper
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Image size: 23 inches wide x 20 inches high
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Region depicted: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Central America
Condition Notes
Visible toning, edge wear, and handling marks consistent with age. Stored in a protective sleeve. No modern restoration observed. Please review images or examine in person closely for condition details.
