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This rare mid-17th-century Dutch sea chart offers a detailed depiction of the Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern African coastline, spanning from Lisbon to the Gambia River. The chart exemplifies the sophistication of Dutch maritime cartography during its Golden Age, combining practical navigational features with artistic embellishments.
The chart is oriented with east at the top, featuring compass roses and extensive rhumb lines radiating across the map. These rhumb lines, essential for plotting courses, reflect the chart's practical purpose for mariners traveling between Europe and Africa. The coastline is rendered with detailed place names, showing settlements, rivers, and islands, including the Canary Islands and Cape Verde archipelago. Depth soundings, sandbanks, and other navigational hazards are likely marked to assist sailors in avoiding perilous areas.
While the chart shares visual similarities and cartographic data with maps of the same title by Hendrick Doncker and Pieter Goos, it extends slightly farther past Cape St. Mary (Bokau) to include more of the West African coastline. There are also subtle differences in the plates, particularly in the typography and the layout of the rhumb lines, distinguishing it from its counterparts. These variances highlight the individuality of this chart despite its resemblance to other notable works of the era.
In the upper-right corner, a decorative cartouche displays the title, flanked by heraldic imagery such as lions and a crown, symbolizing authority and craftsmanship. Small artistic details, including depictions of ships and compass roses, enhance the visual appeal while reinforcing the chart’s maritime theme.
Rarity
Maps by the Jacobsz/Lootsman family of chart markers are rare on the market.
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