183. Mercator, Gerard – Jansson, Jan: Siciliae Regnum

Amsterdam, 1636.
A beautifully coloured copperplate map of Sicily, printed from the original plate, first published in Gerard Mercator’s Italia, Sclavoniae et Graeciae tabula geographica (Duisburg, 1589). After Mercator’s death, the plates were acquired by Jodocus Hondius, who used them between 1606 and 1630 for his Atlas Sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi. They later passed to Johannes Janssonius, who revised them around 1635-1636. In this version, the waves of the original were replaced with ships and sea monsters, while the topographical and toponymic details remained unchanged. Mercator’s original imprint still appears at the bottom of the plate: Per Gerardum Mercatorem Cum Privilegio.
Our example is rare, dating slightly earlier than the issue published in Jansson’s 1636 Nautical Atlas. The verso is blank, suggesting it was probably issued as a separate sheet or as part of a composite atlas.
Dimensions: 340 × 475 (420 × 540) mm. Fine, clear copy.
van der Krogt: 1:002.; Koeman II.: Me 11e, Me 13A.
 
Starting price: 200 000,-