1693 Coronelli Antique Globe Gores x 2 of The Caribbean, Central & South America

Cartographer : Vincenzo Maria Coronelli

Description: 
This is a rare opportunity to acquire two original antique cropped Globe Gores of the The Caribbean, Central & Northern South America, from Florida to The West Indies and Venezuela - that were published by Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650 - 1718) in the 1693 Venice edition of Atlante Veneto, Libro dei Globi.The Gores are printed on heavy clean cabled paper and are cropped sections of the half gores. I can only imagine that they were cropped and sections cut in the past construction of the Coronelli Globes, acquired by us in a large collection some years ago.
In 1693 Coronelli published all his gores - from the 2in to the 42 in - in an atlas,  Libero dei Globi, part of the great series of atlases,  Atlante Veneto. Libero dei Globi was published by Coronelli to ensure his work was available to a wider audience, as very few could afford travel to Venice, Rome or Paris to view his completed globes. 

Background: In the early 1680’s Vincenzo Coronelli constructed two vast 15ft diameter terrestrial & celestial globes for Louis XIV of France. These were meticulously hand drawn & engraved. Such was the admiration of these Globes that in 1688 Coronelli began the engraving & publication of Globe Gores for the construction of two 110cm (42in) terrestrial & celestial globes.
Coronellis claim to have produced the best globes of any age was exemplified by the high demand and purchase of the globes by various institutions & cities within Europe. Yet many scholars still did not have the opportunity to visit Paris, London, Rome or Venice to view them and so Coronelli devised his famous atlas Libero dei Globi the first atlas of globe gores ever produced. TheLibro formed part of a great series of atlases by Coronelli, the Atlante Veneto,in which Coronelli was able to combine the two cartographic art forms in which he excelled, maps & globes.
The engraving of the gores was of the highest standard with neat contrasting lettering and five large cartouches of a singular grace and elegance. One cartouche situated below Australia carries a portrait of the author and Pope Alexander VI.
Some of the more interesting features contained within the Gores are the recording of recent French explorations in North America, such as La Salles journey to the mouth of the Mississippi in 1681-87 & the French possessions within North America. Elsewhere the Caspian Sea is drawn closer to its modern shape, the Nile in Africa is shown without its fictitious source and the Blue Nile is shown correctly from a large lake in Ethiopia. The tracks of Le Maire crossing of the Pacific in 1616 are marked, as is the voyage of Chaumont to Siam in 1685-6. There are an unusual number of legends, all explanatory and informative along with many vignettes of ships and fishing scenes throughout the globe.
Coronelli was one of the finest engravers & cartographers of any era, producing some of the most stunning work ever seen. These Globe Gores are no exception. Coronelli was a master craftsman with an eye for detail. You can feel the uncompromising accuracy & passion in his work when you study his maps & globes.

These globe gores are scarce, with only a few sales records from the last 25 years. Similarly there is very little choice currently on the market. This scarcity ensures ongoing value and future appreciation. (Ref: Shirley 538; Tooley; Dr. Helen Wallis The Map Collector Dec 1980;Armao, Ermanno. Vincenzo Coronelli Cenni sull'uomo e la sua Vita Catalogo... Bibliopolis, Florence pp.130-134)

General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - white
Age of map color: - Later
Colors used: - Yellow, green, pink, blue 
General color appearance: - Fresh & original
Paper size: - 12in x 11 1/2in (310mm x 290mm)ea
Margins: - min. 1/2in (10mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - Left margin of left gore extended
Plate area: - 3 small sew holes in right gore, left gore cut into left section of image
Verso: - None

$1,250.00