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Description

Decorative double hemisphere map of the world, with four additional hemispheric maps and two celestial models.

Compiled by J.M. Haas, Professor of Mathematics at Wittenberg, this double hemisphere map of the world is a captivating blend of cartographic precision, historical insights, and artistic embellishments.   

One of the map's most fascinating aspects is its depiction of Australia and New Zealand, both represented incompletely, indicative of the nascent state of exploration in the Southern Hemisphere during this period. This predates the voyages of Captain James Cook and thus provides a unique insight into the speculative geographies that characterized early representations of these regions.

The map is decorated with two elaborate cartouches, adding a layer of artistic grandeur to the already intricate cartographic detail. Four smaller maps display polar projections, offering alternative views of the world and highlighting the North and South Poles' significance in the geographical imagination of the time.

Additionally, the map features two models of the sun illuminating the earth, a nod to contemporary understandings of the solar system and the earth's place within it. These models not only serve a decorative function but also provide a scientific context to the map's geographical portrayals. 

This is the early state of the map, pre-dating the addition of the details from the Russian explorations along the Coast of North America by Behring, Tschirikow and others, which provided the first glimpses at the outlines of the Alaska and the the Northwest Coast of America, but pre-dating the first appearance of the Sea of the West.

Homann Heirs Biography

Homann Heirs was a German publishing firm that enjoyed a major place in the European map market throughout the eighteenth century. Founded in 1702 by Johann Baptist Homann, the business passed to his son, Christoph, upon Johann’s death in 1724. Christoph died in 1730, aged only 27, and the firm was inherited by subsequent Homann heirs. This altered the name of the company, which was known as Homann Erben, or Homann heirs. The firm continued in business until 1848.