WALLIA PRINCIPATUS Vulgo WALES. SEREN.mo DOMINO CAROLO MAGNE BRITANNIAE, etc. PRINCIPI.

An elaborately decorated map of Wales, with coloured cartouches with cherubs and seven coloured armorial and royal shields, three sailing ships in the Irish Sea. From Vol. V of the Dutch language edition of Blaeu's Atlas Major, with Dutch text on verso. Hand-coloured in outline and wash.Joan (John) Bleau (1596-1673) was a son of a famous Dutch cartographer, Willem Janzoon Bleau, and he shared his father’s passion and continued his work. Joan Bleau’s 'Atlas Maior' is one of the most extraordinary work within this category ever produced. It is known for its exquisite engraving, calligraphy and colouring as well as heraldic detail, pictorial work and the intricate cartouches, which all amounted to the appeal of this work. In fact it is argued that some of the maps produced by Joan were considered to be the finest published anywhere in the seventeenth century.

Fine condition; very slight off-setting.