Lot No. 8: GERARD MERCATOR

GERARD MERCATOR

TAB. X. ASIAE COMPLECTENS INDIA INTRA GANGEM

Folded Map

Year: Circa 1695

Size: 53.4 x 39.6 cm (21 x 15.5 inches)

A superb example of Mercator’s Ptolemaic map of much of India, first issued in the 1578 edition of Mercator’s Geographia, based upon the works of Claudius Ptolemy and after, with editions issued as late as 1730. This present lot is from the second set of plates first published in Amsterdam in 1698.
The most famous for his maps of the Modern World and the first to use the name “Atlas” to describe a book of maps, one of Mercator’s life long works was a corrected and improved edition of maps based upon the work of Claudius Ptolemy. The work was first published in 1578, with editions issued as late as 1730.
A Ptolemaic view of India. The Himalayan Mountains stretch across the top of the map, and the Indus and Ganges river systems are well delineated.
The subcontinent is considerably shortened and lacks nearly the entire southern part of India. The northern tip of Taprobana (Sri Lanka) appears at the bottom.

Mercator, Gerardus (1512–1594)
A Flemish cartographer who invented a system of setting lines of latitude and longitude on charts of the spherical earth, the “Mercator projection,” which has become a standard for maps into modern times. Born in Rupelmonde, a small town in Flanders, he studied at the University of Louvain, where he achieved a master's degree in 1532. Troubled by the conflict of ancient Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine, Mercator studied mathematics, philosophy, geography, and astronomy in order to reach some conclusions about the origins and true nature of the world. He was above all fascinated by the developing art of mapmaking, which in his day benefitted from the discoveries of explorers and travelling merchants. He became a skilled maker of globes and instruments; under the training of Gemma Frisius and Gaspar Myrica, two men expert in the craft, he also mastered the difficult art of engraving.

---

Provenance : Collection of a Gentleman