Sardaigne / Johannes Janssonius 1640*1660 - Sardinia / Conquests; Johannes Janssonius - Sardiniae Nova & Accurata Descriptio - 1621-1650

This is an antique copper-engraved map depicting the island of Sardinia (Insulae Sardiniae Nova & Accurata Descriptio), dating from the 17th century and often attributed to Dutch publishers and Golden Age cartographers

Johannes Janssonius) 1640–1660


MAP SIZE approximately 78/52 cm


Main features of the map:

• Title and cartouche: Titled Insulae Sardiniae Nova & Accurata Descriptio, adorned with an allegorical cartouche in the lower left featuring a female figure and a billy goat or goat, as well as coats of arms and ships sailing across the Tyrrhenian Sea

• Orientation: Like many antique maps from this period, it features particular choices of orientation or geographical outlines derived from 16th-century surveys (notably inspired by the work of Giovanni Antonio Magini and Rocco Cappellino).

• Edition: This type of engraving was published in Amsterdam by major mapmaking houses such as those of Janssonius or the Blaeus around 1640–1660.


About the paper watermark

If you can see a fleur-de-lis in the paper when held up to the light, it is a countermark or a variant of the main design.
• The Anchor + Fleur-de-lis combination: In 17th- and 18th-century papermaking (particularly in northern Italy, France, or the United Provinces), an anchor with a chain or enclosed in a circle was very often surmounted by a fleur-de-lis. This combined symbol served to guarantee a very precise paper size (often a large format for atlases) or superior quality.

2. Heraldic elements on the map

The fleur-de-lis also appears on the map itself. In the first overall view, the coat of arms in the upper central part of the border is visible:
• Sardinia was under Spanish rule (the House of Habsburg) when this map was created in the 17th century.
• Spanish royal arms of this period frequently incorporated the lilies of the House of Burgundy or royal alliances, alongside the castles (Castile) and lions (León).


Historical authenticity: The presence of this watermark (created by making the paper pulp thinner during manufacture on a traditional mould) proves that the paper was made using traditional methods at the time the engraving was produced (here, the edition by Jan Janssonius or Joan Blaeu in the mid-17th century). This is an excellent indication that this is an original period impression and not a modern reproduction printed by offset or photogravure on contemporary paper.


Map in good condition


Carefully packaged for shipping