This engraved South Pole cap (calotte) was produced

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: No

Date Acquired: 3/2/2024

Dealers ID No.: 19377

Description: This engraved South Pole cap (calotte) was produced by Vincenzo Coronelli in Venice in 1688, forming part of the printed edition of his monumental terrestrial globes originally created for King Louis XIV of France. Designed for a globe measuring 110 cm (42 inches) in diameter, the calotte is one of twelve gores that formed the southern hemisphere of the globe.nVincenzo Coronelli, a Franciscan friar, mathematician, and cartographer, was one of the leading figures in seventeenth-century cartography. Entering the Franciscan Order at fifteen and later ordained as a priest, Coronellis interests shifted from theology to mathematics, astronomy, and geography. He studied in Venice, Ravenna, and Paris, refining his skills in geography and engraving. In 1680, Coronelli founded the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti ("Cosmographic Academy of the Argonauts"), regarded as the worlds first geographical society. The following year, Louis XIV invited him to Paris to construct two monumental manuscript globes, each over four metres in diameter, celebrated for their scientific accuracy and artistic achievement. After returning to Venice in 1684, Coronelli established a cartographic workshop at the Convent of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, where he produced numerous maps and atlases, including the Atlante Veneto ("Venetian Atlas," 169196) and the Corso Geografico Universale ("Universal Geographical Course," 169297). In 1688, he issued the printed edition of the Kings globes, scaled to 110 cm, to make his monumental cartographic achievements more widely accessible.nThe South Pole cap is dominated by a richly engraved decorative cartouche commemorating Ferdinand Magellans circumnavigation of 15191522. Magellan is shown unveiling a globe while resting his hand on the shoulder of Mercury, the Roman god of commerce. To the right, bales of trade goods symbolise the prosperity and global connectivity fostered by international exploration and commerce. The calotte combines allegorical imagery with geographic significance, embodying Coronellis characteristic blending of scientific knowledge, artistic invention, and celebration of global trade.nThis calotte reflects Coronellis broader vision of cartography not only as a tool of navigation and science but also as a representation of European exploration, expansion, and mercantile ambition at the close of the seventeenth century.

Engraver: Coronelli, Vincenzo (1650-1718)

First published: Venice: 106 cm, 42 inches in diameter, 1688

Mapmaker: Coronelli, Vincenzo (1650-1718)

Notes: Purchase details

Price: 800

Primary Category: World

Purchase Reference: Ledger

Rarity: R1 Extremely rare – occasionally seen on the market

References: For the complete assembled globe, see David Rumsey Map Collection and this video animation of the same.

Shirley ID #: 537 Mapping the World

Technique: Copper Engraving