Scarce decorative Elwe reissue of De Wit’s map of the Middle East

Description

This beautiful, contemporary-coloured map of the Middle East features the Arabian Peninsula and Persia prominently. It presents the region from the Black and Caspian seas and present-day Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the north to the Horn of Africa in the south and from Asia Minor, the Eastern Mediterranean and northeast Egypt in the west to present-day Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Indian Ocean in the east. It was published by Jan Barend Elwe in 1792 in Amsterdam.

The map is richly detailed, with countless topographical features and placenames throughout. Relief and vegetation are rendered pictorially, while shoals are stippled. Major settlements are symbolised through stylised buildings.

A striking title cartouche decorates the bottom right corner of the map. The scene is populated with evocative figures, also depicting an elephant, a camel, and what could be a leopard. Boats and ships are shown in the background.

At the bottom left, there is a decorative presentation of a distance scale. A figure – possibly a surveyor or navigator – is shown using a divider, with what appear to be a folding rule, a rolled-up map, and a surveyor's wheel laying to the side. The scale is shown in “common German miles” of which there have mean numerous variations historically. However, here it is further specified as being of “15 in a degree” (of equatorial longitude), which equals about 7.4 km or 4.6 miles and means that the reference is to the “geographical mile” ("geografische Meile").

The map shows parallels and meridians, features the Tropic of Cancer, and includes a basic compass rose. The seas are adorned with small sailing ships.

This map was originally created by Frederik de Wit under the title “Nova Persiae Armeniae Natoliae et Arabiae Descriptio” more than 100 years prior to Elwe’s publication. Around 1740, De Wit’s map was copied by Reiner and Joshua Ottens, who engraved it anew, with only minuscule differences when compared to the De Wit version, including dropping “Descriptio” from the title. Elwe eventually acquired the Ottens plate and changed only its title and imprint, publishing it under his own name. The Elwe issue is very uncommon.

A beautiful and rare map of West Asia with an interesting publishing history.

Condition

Very good.

Printed on watermarked paper, issued folding. Beautiful colouring. A few faint stains and smudges, mostly contained to blank margins. Minor bottom centrefold split, contained to blank margin, closed with archival tape on verso.

Item #: 02655

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