Amsterdam, J. Janssonius, 1654. Folio ( 45 x 30 cm). Title with early-colored cartouche heightened with gold, 6 pp text, 2pp. index, 26 early-colored mostly double-page charts and maps all heightened with gold except the 8 maps of Greece. 
 
The map “Tabula generalis Maris Medditerranei” has been replaced by the very rare mediterranean map of W. J. Blaeu, “Europe maritime et générale de toutes les costs des mere Océane et Mediterraneum” in the first edition of N. Langlois, also early-colored and heightened with gold. Contemporary vellum. 
 
For this very rare sea-atlas Janssonius used the re-issued Barentsz’s charts of the Mediterranean together with maps from his Atlas Novus. Some of the decorative features of the Barentsz charts have been removed but nevertheless the maps are highly decorative, especially in this early-colored state, heightened with gold.
 
Apart from these extremely rare Blaeu and Barentsz maps, another notable map is “Paskaarte van’t oostelijckste deel van de Middellandsche Zee”. This map by Abraham Goos is not mentioned in the reference book of Zacharakis and only appears in this atlas. Most maps have engraved numbers.
 
The condition is all in all very good with a beautiful coloring. All compass roses and most distance tables are heightened with gold as well as the Index letters, some lettering on the first Mediterranean map. There are some minor imperfections, the oversized maps of Greece have each a minor tear in the fold. 
 
There are only 5 other copies known of this rare sea-atlas.

Reference Number #3001