Charte universelle de tout le monde

Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: Yes

Date Acquired: 6/4/2001

Dealers ID No.: M270 (STK 1094.01)

Description: This elegantly engraved world map, printed on two sheets, the result of a collaboration between Amsterdam cartographer Cornelis Danckerts and Paris-based printer Melchior Tavernier, who styled himself graveur et imprimeur du Roy (engraver and printer to the King). Issued in 1628 and dedicated to the French monarch, the Charte universelle de tout le monde incorporates the latest European discoveries, particularly those by Dutch and English navigators, while retaining elements of classical geography and myth.nThe map is presented in double-hemisphere format and is framed by richly decorative features: cherubic figures occupy the corner spandrels, while celestial hemispheresflanked by angelic attendantsappear in the upper margin. This ornamental scheme reflects the Baroque sensibility of early seventeenth-century French cartography, blending artistry with expanding empirical knowledge.nOne of the most striking features is the depiction of California as an island, a misconception that persisted in European maps for much of the seventeenth century. In the southern hemisphere, fragments of Terra Australis Incognita appear in the eastern hemisphere but are notably absent from the westernindicating the shifting status of this once-dominant cartographic hypothesis.nSignificantly, the map incorporates early Dutch discoveries along the Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia. Based on Jan Carstenszoons 1623 voyage, it records four rivers:nR. de Spult (Jardine River)nR. Batavie (Wenlock River)nR. de Coen (Archer River)nR. de Naßou (Nassau River)nIn addition, the map notes the Haulte Terre ("High Land"), a term reflecting the elevated geographical features observed by Carstenszoons expedition. These toponyms represent some of the earliest European attempts to systematically record the northern coastlines of Australia and are rare in maps of this period.nThe Charte universelle de tout le monde stands as an important example of Franco-Dutch cartographic collaboration, combining aesthetic sophistication with emerging geographic detail. It captures a transitional moment in world mappingwhere myth and empiricism coexistedand marks an important step in the gradual charting of the Australian continent.

Engraver: Tavernier, Melchoir

First published: Separately publication. Paris: Melchoir Tavernier, 1628

Image Size (cm): 91×51.5

Mapmaker: Danckerts, Cornelis

Price: A54,000 plus gst

Primary Category: World

Purchase Reference: Letter 6 April 2001

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

References: Schilder illust. p90, pl XVI. See my article on Van Langeren fragment (M262); See also Dr Putman's article in The Map Collector – Winter 1993, pp. 37-39.nGowrie Galleries, The Printed World III 2000, item 59,nUp until the discovery of the Van Langeren fragment (M262), this was the oldest printed map to show Carstensz's discoveries in Australia, in 1623. Only five or six copies survive.

Shirley ID #: 323 Mapping of the World

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: 1628