BLAEU. THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM. 1640-1654

Latin text edition, 5 volumes, folio (505 x 330mm.), half-title in volume one, 8 engraved titles or divisional titles (those to the Low Countries and Spain without text), 392 engraved maps (most double-page), coloured by a contemporary hand,  index leaf at end of each volume, contemporary Dutch vellum, gilt, some browning mostly to volume one and 5, a few repairs and strengthening, minor restoration mostly in volume one, some maps with splits at fold (one detached), bindings lightly worn and soiled

Koeman I, 21A, 22, 37B, 43B and 49; van der Krogt, 2:201, 202 3H, 202 3M, 301, 401

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"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."

A FINE EXAMPLE FROM THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE OF CARTOGRAPHY. Atlases printed and produced in the Low Countries during the Golden Age are among the most spectacular of books. The apex of this period are the atlases produced by the Blaeu family. Willem Janszoon Blaeu and his son Joan worked as cartographers for the Dutch East India Company, and this association meant that not only did they have access to the updated records of ongoing exploration but also a wide range of impressive Flemish artistic sources. All of these factors resulted in maps and atlases of unparalleled impressiveness, where the previously unchartered territory of the new world was presented amongst rich and decorative engravings.

The set comprises:
Volume I. World, Scandinavia, Germany and Netherlands, 1640, 120 maps
Volume II. France, Spain, Asia, Africa and America, 1640, 93 maps
Volume III. Italy and Greece, 1650, 66 maps, with the Scotia section mentioned in the index
Volume IV. England and Wales, 1646, 58 maps
Volume V. Scotland and Ireland, 1654,  55 maps

Blaeu's Appendix was followed by the German edition of the Novus atlas in two volumes in 1634/5 and the French, Dutch and Latin edition - the Theatrum orbis terrarum - in 1635. The third volume came out in 1640 while the fourth (England and Wales) first appeared in 1645. The fifth volume (of Scotland) was the first separate atlas of Scotland ever published. "So during the thirty odd years leading up to the publication of his Atlas Major, we see that Blaeu published two volume, three, four and six volume atlases, each increasing in size and geographical knowledge" (Wardington Catalogue).