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Stock# 90563
Description

Exquisitely Hand-Colored Example of the Most Famous of the 17th-Century Sea Atlases. Heightened in Gold.

A stunning example of the exceedingly rare first edition of Pieter Goos's Zee-Atlas, one of the most decorative works published during the Dutch Golden Age of Cartography.

The Zee-Atlas reflects the forefront of Dutch seafaring knowledge in 1666. The maps, mostly inspired by Doncker's cartography, focus on the far-flung parts of the world and include one of the earliest separate maps of California as an island, an exceptional map of the region between the Delaware River and Manhattan, and one of the few maps of the period to focus so closely on Tasman's discoveries. 

However, the greatest map in the atlas is perhaps the world map. Described by Shirley as "one of the most decorative world maps to appear in a Dutch atlas," it is a veritable tour de force. Geographically derived from Blaeu, the quality of engraving and coloring is truly superlative. From the sun face decorated in full gilt to the metaphor for the passing of the seasons at the bottom of the map, the piece is perfectly constructed and represents one of the apexes of Dutch 17th-century engraving.

Goos is rightly reputed as the greatest bookseller of maritime cartography in Amsterdam in the second half of the 17th century. He self-describes the atlas on the title as "for gentlemen and merchants as well as for sailors and pilots," showcasing the wide reach that the atlas enjoyed. After this first edition, the Zee-Atlas was published in a number of further editions by Goos and his widow, displaying the staying power and continuing demand for the work. 

Editions and Rarity

The first edition of Goos's Zee-Atlas is known to exist with complements of 40 and 41 maps. This example possesses all 41 maps, including the Paskaerte Van de Zuydt en Noordt Revier in Nieu Nederlant..., Goos's map of present-day New Jersey and one of the most valuable maps in the book. The collation matches Goos 1A/B but with map 39 (Pascaert van Nova Hispania. . .) dated 1666 rather than 1664.

We trace only one other example of the 1666 edition of Goos's work appearing on the market in the last forty-some years. This is by far the best example of this atlas that we have encountered.

Condition Description
Folio. Publisher's full gilt vellum, covers paneled in gilt, with foliate gilt tools in the corners. All edges gilt. Engraved frontispiece, forty engraved double-page maps, and one folding engraved map, all in exceptional contemporary hand color and many with gold highlights. (Minor spotting to vellum. A few leaves with discretely repaired marginal tears and a small repaired chip to title. Small area of abrasion to map 30, and neatly repaired fold split just entering image maps 31, 34, and 35.)
Reference
Koeman IV, Goos 1B; National Maritime Museum III.92 & 94
Pieter Goos Biography

Pieter Goos (ca. 1616-1675) was a Dutch map and chart maker, whose father, Abraham Goos (approx. 1590-1643), had already published numerous globes, land and sea maps together with Jodocus Hondius and Johannes Janssonius in Antwerp. Pieter gained recognition due to the publication of sea charts. He bought the copperplates of the famous guide book for sailors, De Lichtende Columne ofte Zeespiegel (Amsterdam 1644, 1649, 1650), from Anthonie Jacobsz. Goos published his own editions of this work in various languages, while adding his own maps. In 1666, he published his De Zee-Atlas ofte Water-Wereld, which is considered one of the best sea atlases of its time. Goos' sea charts came to dominate the Dutch market until the 1670s, when the Van Keulen family came to prominence.