A New Mapp of Africa. Richard Blome (1635-1705). Engraved map with original hand color. London, c. 1660. 16 x 21 inches sheet, 25 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches framed. Richard Blome (1635-1705) was a prolific London-based 17th-century map and book publisher. Featured is a complete set of continents from his 1682 atlas Cosmography and Geography which translated for the first time to English the continental delineations of noted French cartographer Nicolas Sanson, from his groundbreaking Cartes Generales de toutes les Parties du Monde (Paris, 1658).
Critics have praised Blome’s entrepreneurial efforts in his field, being the first cartographer to successfully finance his work through selling subscriptions. As incentive, he offered to engrave the subscriber’s coat of arms on their map of choice. Several of his maps bear the symbols and arms of several dukes, earls and other men of distinction from his time. Blome’s maps are festooned with bright floral arrangements, generous touches of festive colors and embellished with heraldic characters and symbols. These aesthetic qualities appeal highly to collectors looking to acquire a gorgeous period piece.