Dardanelles Strait, Ottoman Turkey – Probst Optical View with Ships, c.1770

This rare and exquisite view depicts the strategic Dardanelles strait, the narrow passage between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara with the distant cityscape of Istanbul. Part of th...

Antique print titled 'Sestos in Europa'. Original antique print showing a view of Sestos, Turkey with ships. This print originates from 'Naukeurige Beschryving der Eilanden in de Arc...

An original antique engraving entitled "Joppe; in ’t Hebreeusch by ouds Japho; hedendaags Japha, of Jaffa; volgens d’aftekening gedaan 1668", by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600 - 1667). This is a view of the city of Joppe (in Hebrew Japho), now called Japha or Jaffa, the harbor portion of modern day Tel Aviv, Israel as it appeared in 1668 . It depicts a very busy harbor with numerous boats. A large ship on the left appears to be firing its canons and a small ship on the right appears to be sitting very low in the water, either heavily loaded with cargo or sinking. The town is seen on the far shore with a fortress on a hill across in the background. The map is printed from the original Sanson copperplate and was published in 1709 by his descendants. The map is presented in an ornate brown wood frame embellished by gold-colored leaves and gold inner trim with a double mat; the outer mat is cream-colored and the inner mat is black. There is a central vertical fold, as issued. There are two small spots in the lower margin and one in the upper margin, as well as two tiny spots adjacent to the central fold. 1717 is written below the date 1668 in the inscription. The map is otherwise in very good condition. Another map of the "Holy Land" (by Claes Visscher in 1663), with an identical style frame and mat is available. This pair of maps would make a wonderful display grouping. Please see Reference #LU117324709892. Artist: Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600 - 1667) and his descendents were important French cartographer's active through the 17th century. Sanson started his career as a historian and initially utilized cartography to illustrate his historical treatises. His maps came to the attention of Cardinal Richelieu and then King Louis XIII of France, who became a supporter and sponsor. He subsequently appointed Sanson 'Geographe Ordinaire du Roi' the official map maker to the king. Sanson not only created maps for the king, but advised him on geographical issues and curated his map collection...

This is a 17th century hand-colored map entitled "Insula Gaditana Isla de Cadiz" from Johannes (Joan) Blaeu's Atlas Maior, published in Amsterdam in 1662. The map provides an excellent plan of Cadiz Island on the southwest coast of Spain, with its harbor, fortifications, agricultural fields and several surrounding salt processing areas. Numerous sailing ships of various sizes are included in and around the harbor and bay, including five large sailing ships, as well as twenty-four smaller ships. There is a small compass rose overlying the bay. The bridge to the mainland from the island is shown on the right. There is an extremely ornate and colorful title cartouche in the lower left, with its mythological figures reminiscent of Raphael’s Galatea fresco at the Villa Farnesina in Rome. The vibrant colors are vividly preserved. The master colorist tried to emulate a painting by using various tones to create a three-dimensional effect.
 Blaeu's name is present in the plate in the lower right. Blaeu stated in his description of Cadiz: “The main wealth of the islanders consists of salt, which they harvest, and
 the tuna fisheries.” 
 This 17th century hand-colored map is framed in an ornate, partially textured bronze-colored wood frame and glazed with UV protected conservation glass. There is a vertical center fold, as issued. There is a faint crease in the lower right and faint color offset on the left from the right side of the map, resulting from having been in an atlas for hundreds of years. Small foci of paint are present in the upper portion of the left margin and in the left corner margin. The map is otherwise in very good condition. Due in large part to their powerful trade empire, the Dutch became known for cartography in the seventeenth century. This period is considered the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. Their publishing houses produced the highest quality work in Europe, particularly those maps and charts of foreign lands, and Dutch map-making set the bar for cartographic accuracy and artistry into the early-eighteenth century. Some of the most well-known cartographers worked in Amsterdam during this period. Perhaps the most famous of these was the Blaeu family. Willem Janszoon Blaeu, set up shop in Amsterdam. His son, Johannes (Joan), succeeded him upon his death in 1638, continuing in his father’s position as Hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company and selling maps to the public. The Blaeu map presses, located near Amsterdam’s Dam Square...