Northern South America. Nicolas Sanson, Terre Ferme, Nouveau Royme de Grenade, &c., 1700 (circa). Hand Color. Very attractive small map of the northern part of South America, including most of modern Panama. Regional boundaries are shown along with missions, towns, major rivers and mountains. The mythical Lago de Parime appears in Guyana with Manoa del Dorado (the city of gold) on its western shore. The map is adorned with a nice title cartouche. Engraved by Antoine de Winter.


Sanson's small maps from his L'Amerique en Plusieurs Cartes..., first published in 1657 and engraved by A. Peyrounin, were copied several times by various map publishers. Johann David Zunners made copies of Sanson's maps for his German translation of Die Gantze Erd-Kugel in 1679. Johannes Ribbius and Simon de Vries published copies in 1682 and 1683, with new maps engraved by Antoine d'Winter. The plates were later sold to Francois Halma, who used them in 1699 and then again in 1705 with the titles re-engraved in Dutch. The titles on the d'Winter plates were re-engraved back into French, and then used by Nicholas Chemereau in 1715 and by Henri du Sauzet in 1738.

LITERATURE: Pastoureau, SANSON II G.

A dark impression, issued folding on paper with the French Royal arms watermark and minor offsetting. There is one tiny hole in Venezuela and several additional small holes in the left blank margin. Grade: A

7.4 x 11.4 in