Africa - Madagascar

Technical data Title: Carte réduite du Canal de Mozambique et des Isles de Madagascar de France, de Bourbon, de Rodrigues et autres Author: Jacques-Nicolas Bellin Designer: Jacques-Nicolas Bellin Publisher: Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine Place: Paris Era: 1767, as indicated in the cartouche Technique: copper engraving on copper plate, etching and burin; without colouring Support: paper Dimensions: sheet 62 × 91 cm; engraving 59.5 × 85 cm Composition: one sheet with central fold; main map and three inset plans inserted: Assomption Island, Île de Séchelles and the port of Séchelles. Plate no. 92. Description Large nautical chart of the Mozambique Channel and the western Indian Ocean, including the coasts of eastern Africa and Madagascar, the islands of France (Mauritius), Bourbon (Réunion), Rodrigues and surrounding archipelagos. The dense network of wind roses and rhumb lines makes the chart’s nautical function immediately recognizable; along the coasts are shown numerous toponyms and navigation-relevant references. The composition is enriched by a large rocaille cartouche with the title and by three detailed plates dedicated to Assomption Island, Île de Séchelles and its port. Engraved for the service of the king’s ships on the order of the Minister of the Navy, the chart combines the precision of hydrographic detail with the decorative quality of 18th-century French cartography. Historical-artistic note Jacques-Nicolas Bellin was a French Navy engineer and a central figure in the cartographic production of the Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine. The chart testifies to France’s interest in the routes of the Indian Ocean and in the representation of coastlines, islands and landfalls along the journey toward Asia. Condition Report Central fold with browning visible mainly on the verso and slight oxidation of the paper, small scattered stains and signs of wear at the margins; a small lesion near the lower margin along the fold is observed. Small tear on the left margin. Margins present. Blank verso.

Estimate:£169.7

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