Peru - Current Peru and Ecuador, the far south of Colombia, the western part of Bolivia, the northern part; Joannes Janssonius - Pérou - Gravure sur cuivre, coloris d'époque - Joannes Janssonius - Navires et monstres marins - 1621-1650

Ancient copper-engraved map of Peru (Spanish viceroyalty: Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina today) with hand color by Jan Jansson, published in 1633 in the Mercator-Hondius atlas.

Here is a title cartouche with scrolling, extended by a scallop shell and a garland of pearls, containing two scales (German miles and French miles).
The Pacific coast, named “Mar del Zur,” is detailed with numerous capes, points, islands and bays, including Callao, Paita, Arica and Puná Island.

The sea is animated with four ships, three sailing in concert, sea creatures and a wind rose with fleur-de-lis from which rhumb lines emanate.
Inside the land, the Andes mountain range is depicted in relief, with the main cities: Quito, Lima/Los Reyes, Cusco, Arequipa, La Paz and Potosí.
Lake Titicaca and its islands drain via the Desaguadero to Lake Aullagas.

The map is oriented with north to the left. The equator (“Linea Æquinoctialis”) and the Tropic of Capricorn are indicated.

The descriptive French text on the reverse (pages 721 and 724) discusses the Audiencias of Quito, Lima and Charcas, the mines of Potosí and the manners of the inhabitants.

- Dimensions: on sheet: 56 x 47.5 cm; on the map (the copper plate): 46.9 x 35.3 cm
- Condition: Good overall for a map of this period. Presence of a vertical central crease, small foxing, light soiling and a small hole in the upper margin. See photos for more details.

Atlas Mercator-Hondius
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The atlas called “Mercator-Hondius” reprises the work of Gerard Mercator, whose copper plates were purchased by Jodocus Hondius in 1604. This French edition of 1633 is signed by his son Henricus Hondius and his son-in-law Joannes Janssonius, who augmented it with new maps

Joannes Janssonius
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Born in Arnhem in 1588 and died in 1664, son of the Arnhem publisher Jan Janssen, he married in 1612 in Amsterdam Elisabeth Hondius, daughter of Jodocus Hondius, then settled in that city as bookseller and cartographer. In 1618, he moved to Amsterdam next to Blaeu’s shop. Associated with his brother-in-law Henricus Hondius, he continued the publication of the Mercator atlas. After 1638, the atlas took the title Atlas Novus and was mainly led by Joannes Janssonius. Thus he became the main rival of the Blaeu house. After his death, the business was continued by his heirs under the direction of his son-in-law Johannes van Waesbergen; in 1676, the remaining atlases were sold at auction, and the copper plates subsequently passed to Schenk and Valck.