A “CURIOUSLY ELABORATE WORLD MAP” BY ROSACCIO

AUTHOR:

ROSACCIO, GUISEPPE

TITLE:

Universale Ecc. te Descrittione Di Tutto Il Mondo Del Gioseppe Rosaccio

CONDITION:

10 1/8” x 12 1/4”. Uncolored copperplate engraving. Expert repairs to folds with some small areas of loss. A reasonable example of a very scarce map.

DATE:

c.1610

DESCRIPTION:

“This curiously elaborate world map is to be found in a speculative world geography by Guiseppe Rosaccio... The right-hand hemisphere is surrounded by bands denoting the climates; the left-hand one by lively windheads and celestial constellations. In the centre cusp is a dyspeptic portrait of the young Duke Cosimo II de Medici, and in the spandels are circular representations of the four elements. The lower part of the engraving consists of a neatly engraved Ptolemaic map of the world and a set of spherical diagrams showing the zones, meridians, and geographical features” -- Shirley. The map was engraved by Guiseppe’s relative Alovisio Rosaccio and is very scarce. This is an example of the second state, with a beard added to the portrait of de Medici.

REFERENCES:

Shirley, The Mapping of The World, #268.

Inventory No. 8188