Very rare Berey map of the Americas

Description

This is the second state of this very rare, separately issued map of the Americas. It was first published by Nicolas Berey (I?) in Paris, in 1658. Considering that he and his (also engraver-publisher) son Nicolas Berey II had died in 1665 and 1667, respectively, and that his son Claude-Auguste Berey (born 1660, and later an engraver-publisher as well) was too young at the time, we assume that it was Alexis-Hubert Jaillot who issued the present second state, dated 1671. Jaillot was the son-in-law of Nicolas Berey I and carried on the Bereys’ business after their death.

The map is a derivative, based on maps of the same title by Petrus Bertius and Melchior Tavernier, first published in the 1620s and then reissued multiple times over the following decades. Their maps, in turn, derive from Jodocus Hondius II’ respective map (America Noviter Delineata) from 1618.

What distinguishes Berey’s map and makes it unique when compared to its predecessors is the descriptive French text surrounding it. At the top, it elaborates on Europeans’ first sighting and naming of the Americas as well as basics of the continents’ delineation. It also lists the main known settled territories. On the left, the text lists major cities and the territories these are associated with. The text panel on the right details the seas bordering the Americas as well as major islands (incl. California) and rivers. At the bottom, the text lists the European nations which “have lands“ (“… ont Terres …”) in the Americas, while also outlining, by territory, the respective native peoples/leaders who “still have something within the lands” (“… ont encor quelque chose au dedans des Terres …”).

From a cartographic perspective, the map displays the following notable features:

• The coastline of northwest North America is yet to assume its correct shape.
• California is shown as a peninsula, even though the panel text refers to it as “one of the largest islands in the world” (“… l'une des plus grandes Isles du Monde …”).
• In western North America, an imaginary large lake (Cevola) appears, on its western side dotted by the mythical "Seven Cities of Cibola" (Sept Villes).
• In eastern North America, there is only a faint idea of the Great Lakes. New England is shown as “Norumbega”, originally the name of another fictional settlement of untold riches.
• In South America, two of the presumed gateways to El Dorado feature – Lake Parime (Parime Lac) in the north and Lake Eupana (Eupana Lac, also known as Lake Xarayes) in the centre.
• Two engraved scenes in South America portray natives, with the lower depicting a Patagon – a representative of a mythical race of giant humans said to have lived in the continent’s south.

Two insets present the polar regions. The North Pole shows Greenland seemingly connected to the North American mainland, while the Davis Strait (Estroit de Davis) is starting to take shape. The South Pole is labelled Terre Antarctique Incognue (i.e. “Unknown Antarctic Land”), with a note stating that “We have this map apart to show how much land around the Antarctic Pole is still unknown to us.”

Decorative elements of the map feature an elegant title cartouche, two strapwork cartouches framing the insets, seven galleons, and two sea monsters.

A scarce and beautiful map of the Western Hemisphere with plenty of detail to discover.

Rarity

The map is very rare on the market. We are able to trace only three sales of the first state by dealers and auction houses over the last 40 years and only one sale of the present second state, by an auction house.

Condition

Very good.

Printed on a clean sheet of watermarked paper. Issued folding. Early colouring in outline, fading. Four minor professional repairs on verso, mostly fold reinforcements, not visible on recto.

Reference

Nicolas Berey. (2024, September 22). In Wikipedia. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Berey

Item #: 02566

US $3,400.00

other currencies