SAYER, Robert & KITCHEN, Thomas, after D'ANVILLE, Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon (1697-1782).
[Continents, Set of 4]
1. A New map of the whole continent of America, divided into North and South.
2. Africa with all it's states, kingdoms, republics, regions, islands etc... Improved and Enlarged.
3. Europe divided into its empires, kingdoms, states, republics, etc..
4. Asia and its Islands according to D'Anville... an exact delineation of all the discoveries made in the Eastern Parts by the English under Captain Cook.
Engraved Map with original hand color in outline, on four sheets joined.
London: Sayer, 1786-1787.
Approx. 42" x 50" sheet each (laid down).

Published by Robert Sayer and Thomas Kitchen after designs by D'Anville and the elusive Samuel Boulton, the present lot represents an encyclopedic effort to condense all of the 18th century's scientific and cartographical knowledge into a series of four maps. Of particular interest is the monumental map of Africa - considered a pre-eminent achievement in documenting the unknown continent” - as J.B.B. D'Anville based his surveys on empirical data as opposed to the imaginary fillers of earlier mapmakers. Thus, it is interesting to note that apart from some detail in the Congo, the upper eastern coast and the Cape Colony, much of southern Africa is left blank.