![[ Coast of North America and Mythical Islands in the Atlantic ] and [ Scandinavia, Baltic, etc ] By Benedetto Bordone](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/105724.jpg)
|
||
|
|
|
|
Nice example of Bordone's maps of the East Coast of America and the mythical island of Brasile and Asmaide, with a map of Scandinavia and the Baltic on the verso, one of the earliest obtainable printed maps of each of the regions.
The "American Map" includes several place names, including "Terra de lavoratore" (based upon the Voyages of João Fernandes of the Azores, who travelled to Cape Farewell in Greenland in 1500). The "Stretto pte. del modo novo" is in the approximate area of the Caribbean and probably represents the supposed strait between North America and South America which appeared on some world maps in this period. The Azores are named, as are the mythical islands of Brasile and Asmaide.
The "Scandinavia & Baltic Map" perpetuates the myth that Greenland was attached to Scandinavia. The map locates a number of recognizable place names, including Norbegia (Norway), Gottia (Gothia), Livonia, Datia (Denmark) , and Engronelant (Greenland).
Benedetto Bordone (1460-1531) was a manuscript editor, miniaturist and cartographer, from Padua, in the Republic of Venice.
His most famous work is the Isolario ( The Book of Islands, "where we discuss about all islands of the world, with their ancient and modern names, histories, tales and way of living...") in which he describes all the islands of the known world with their folklore, myths, cultures, climates, situations, and history. It is intended as an illustrated guide for sailors and attempts to include all the new transatlantic discoveries.
The present example is apparently the 1547 edition, which can be determined based upon the position of the text on the verso, according to Burden. The map is rare on the market.
Benedetto Bordone (1460-1531) was a polymath who was born in Padua and worked in Venice. He was an illuminator, engraver, miniaturist, editor, and geographer. It is possible he made the first globe in Italy. His most famous work is the Isolario, or Book of Islands, which included many of the earliest printed maps of islands in the New World.
Bordone, a prominent Venetian manuscript editor, miniaturist, and cartographer, was born in Padua, a city that was then part of the Republic of Venice. Although his exact date of birth remains unknown, historical records indicate that his parents married in Padua in 1442, and he himself was married in 1480. Bordone's contributions to the field of cartography, particularly through his seminal work, Isolario, have cemented his legacy as a pivotal figure in the Renaissance cartographic tradition.
Bordone's most renowned work, Isolario (The Book of Islands), printed in Venice in 1528, is a comprehensive compilation that describes all the known islands of the world. The book offers detailed accounts of each island's folklore, myths, cultures, climates, geographical situations, and historical narratives. It stands as a testament to the popularity of the isolario genre in 15th and 16th century Italy and serves as an illustrated guide for sailors, incorporating the era's latest transatlantic discoveries.
One of the notable features of Isolario is an oval depiction of the world, a map type invented by Bordone. This innovation was later formalized into the equal-area elliptical Mollweide projection three centuries afterward. Bordone's map portrays a distorted view of the New World, showing only the northern regions of South America and depicting North America as a large island labeled Terra del Laboratore (Land of the Worker), a likely reference to the region's active slave trade during that period, which also influenced the name Labrador.
The book also contains the earliest known printed account of Francisco Pizarro's conquest of Peru, making it a significant historical document. Among the numerous woodcut maps included in Isolario, twelve are dedicated to the Americas. These maps feature a plan of "Temistitan" (Tenochtitlan, modern Mexico City) before its destruction by Hernán Cortés, and a map of Ciampagu, the earliest known European-printed map of Japan depicted as an island.
Benedetto Bordone's familial connections are also of interest; he is reputed to have been the father of Julius Caesar Scaliger, a noted classical scholar, and the grandfather of Joseph Justus Scaliger, who is recognized as the founder of the science of historical chronology. The original maps from Bordone's Isolario are highly valued today for their historical significance and intricate craftsmanship. Through his work, Bordone has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography, providing invaluable insights into the geographical knowledge and cultural perceptions of his time.
