A rare Dutch 21½in terrestrial globe by Jacob Floris van Langren and Arnold Floris van Langren, with a dedication to the council and the people of the city of Zwolle Amsterdam, 1607

using the original gores from the first large terrestrial globe edition of 1589 but with unique modifications (type Van der Krogt LAN II), without stool, damaged and varnish heavily yellowed

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Peter van der Krogt, Globi Neerlandici, The production of globes in the Low Countries, Utrecht 1993

This rare globe is in a poor condition and requires professional conservation. It is missing its stand. Engraved paper is dirty and varnish has yellowed. There are several large areas with losses which are visible in the available extra photos. There is a repaired broken area to the plaster surface. Clients are advised to inspect this lot. Extra images are available on request.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jacob Floris van Langren (1525 - 1610) was a Dutch cartographer and globe-maker who established a family dynasty of three generations. Born in Gelderland he later moved to the Southern Netherlands and then to Amsterdam, where his sons Arnoldus  and Henricus were born. From about 1586, Jacob and his son Arnold Florensz van Langren (c.1571-1644) produced terrestrial and celestial globes which were the first ever produced in the northern Low Countries. Over the next fifty years, the van Langrens continued to revise and improve their engravings and Petrus Plancius collaborated with them on the 1589 edition.

The present globe is based on the Mercator world map of 1569. This globe and the fourteen other known surviving examples are incredibly rare. Various additions were made since Van Langren’s first version of his large terrestrial globe of 1589. These adjustments were a result of exciting new geographical findings, such as the discovery of Nova Zembla, complete with the so called ‘Behouden Huis’ (1596/7) and Bear Island, but also evolving to illustrate South America, the Antarctic and the most up-to-date understanding of the Dutch East Indies. New cartouches including the discovery of Tierra del Fuego by Magellan and Java added later.

Interestingly, the present globe displays a reference to the privilege (or patent) on the production of globes granted to the Van Langren family. In 1592, the Dutch States General allowed the Van Langran’s a 10 year monopoly on the production of globes, which unsurprisingly led to quarrels with their rival Jodocus Hondius. The globe produced for the council and city of Zutphen of 1608, and now in the Stedelijk Museum in Zutphen, is probably the nearest in execution to the present globe and bears a very similar dedication. Arnold van Langren encountered financial difficulties in the early 17^th century, probably due to the fact that his great competitor Hondius was able to make globes once Van Langren’s monopoly ceased, and consequently he had to flee to the Southern Netherlands in 1607, the year the present globe was manufactured. It has been suggested that as van Langren commissions dried up, he began to produce globes with special dedications in the hope of selling to the named party. The present globe provides an excellent example being dedicated to the city of Zwolle.

We gratefully thank Mr. Christiaan te Strake from the Stedelijk Museum Zutphen for his help in cataloguing this lot