Novae Guineae forma, & situs

Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Good

Confirmed: Yes

Date Acquired: 26/6/2000

Dealers ID No.: M114 (STK 278.01)

Description: This rare and imaginative map of New Guinea and the surrounding region was first published in the posthumous 1593 edition of Speculum Orbis Terrae, the atlas compiled by Gerard de Jode. De Jode, a skilled artist and mapmaker of the late sixteenth century, is best known for this atlas, first issued in 1578 and admired for its clarity and craftsmanshipparticularly in maps such as Asia (View Record (#373)). Despite these strengths, Speculum struggled commercially due to the earlier and more aggressively marketed success of Abraham Orteliuss Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (see #252 for the 1584 edition).nFollowing de Jodes death in 1591, a second edition of the atlas was issued in 1593 by Arnold Coninx. It introduced several new maps, including this one, titled Novae Guineae forma, & situs. While the title suggests a focus on New Guinea, the map's coverage is broader and more speculative.nThe northern part depicts Nova Guinea, described in the main inscription as so called by the sailors because those coasts, the nature of the country, are similar to the African Guinea. To the south lies a large, unnamed landmass adorned with mountains and exotic creatures including a hunter, griffin, lion, and snaketypical of the periods characteristic blending of cartography and allegorical imagery.nThe Latin text on the verso (fol. 12v) elaborates on the geographical uncertainties of the region:n This region is even today almost unknown, because after the first and second voyages all have avoided sailing thither so that it is doubtful even until today whether it is a continent or an island. The sailors called this region New Guinea because its coasts, state and conditions are similar in many respects to the African Guinea. Andreas Consalius seems to call it Peccinacolij. After this region the huge Australian land follows which – as soon as it is once known – will represent a fifth continent, so vast and immense is it deemed. In the east the Salomon Islands join up, in the north the S. Lazarus Archipelago; it also takes its beginning at two or three degrees south of the equator. In the west it is, if not an island, connected up with the Australian continent.nFurther reference is made to names from earlier travel reportsPeccinacolij from Andreas Consaliusand to nearby regions such as the Solomon Islands (to the east), the St. Lazaraus Archipelago (to the north), and the possible attachment of New Guinea to Terra Australis in the west.nRooted in sixteenth-century speculation and constrained by the limited reach of European exploration, this map marks a clear transition from medieval geographic traditions to the early modern pursuit of empirical knowledge. It stands as a vivid visual record of how Europeans conceived and represented the southern world.

Engraver: De Jode, Cornelis (1568-1600)

First published: Speculum orbis terrae, Antwerp: Arnold Coninx, 1593

Mapmaker: De Jode, Gerard (1568-1600)

Price: A16,100 plus gst

Primary Category: Southern Continent

Purchase Reference: Letter 26 June 2000 on green paper

Rarity: R2 Very rare – one or two copies appear on the market

References: Gunter Schilder (1973), Australia Unveiled, 268-69: The Share of the Dutch Navigators in the Discovery of Australia, 26869.nThomas Suárez (2004), The Early Mapping of the Pacific: The Epic Story of Seafarers, Adventurers, and Cartographers Who Mapped the Earths Greatest Ocean (Singapore: Periplus Editions, 2004), Fig. 55.nSimon Dewez (2000), The Printed World III , Vol III pg 21, map 40.

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: 1593

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