Great Wall: Blaeu, pub. 1662 - Frontispiece with Great Wall of China

Great Wall: Blaeu, pub. 1662 - Frontispiece with Great Wall of China
This remarkable map with original hand-coloring is from Joan Blaeu's Novus Atlas Sinensis a Martino Martinio. The work was published by Joan Blaeu in 1655.

European powers were exploring much of the Far East in the 1600s. Martino Martini, a Jesuit missionary, was at the forefront of these interactions. The missionaries travels and observations helped inform Europe of the people and lands of China and the Far East. Martini's mapping was the first advancement of knowledge of the region in half a century influencing trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.

This is an allegorical frontispiece of Asia with the Great Wall of China. The image depicts an open door and maps and globes being made in the foreground. The open door or gate of the Great Wall is accompanied with the phrase "Clausa Recludo" or "I open the closed places". The upper portion represents the Jesuit missionary activities in the Far East including their efforts to bring Christianity to China and advancements geographical understanding of the region.

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was a prominent Dutch geographer and publisher that studied under Tycho Brahe. Willem died in 1638. He had two sons, Cornelis (1610-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). Joan trained as a lawyer, but joined his father’s business rather than practice law. After his father’s death, the brothers took over their father’s shop and Joan took on his work as hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company. Later in life, Joan would modify and greatly expand his father’s Atlas novus, eventually releasing his masterpiece, the Atlas maior, between 1662 and 1672.

Martino Martini (1614-1661) was a Jesuit Missionary born in Trient in South Tirol, Italy. He travelled to China in 1642 where he gathered maps of various Chinese provinces that helped present the cartography of the Far East. He also wrote a history of the Tartars war against China.

The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There is some smudging in the margins. The paper in this work may have some faint text offset and faint fox marks or mottled spots. There may be a few minor imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
~ 13 1/2" by 20 3/4"