BLAEU (JAN) [Atlas maior] Nuevo Atlas o Teatro del Mundo, vol. 1-7 and 10 FIRST EDITION IN SPANISH, vol. 8-9 and 11 in Latin, volumes 1-2, 4-7, 9-10 with hand-coloured engraved titles, 589 hand-coloured engraved plans and maps (as called for, see footnote) most full-sheet, a few folding, the maps embellished with cartouches, allegorical figures, coats-of-arms, ships, numerous woodcut and hand-coloured illustrations in text, mounted on guards throughout, some initials of volume 1 highlighted in gold, Dutch privilege leaves in volumes 1, 2, 6 and 10 (not called for in Koeman), lacking 2 preliminary leaves (in vol. 1 and 8) approximately 15 maps with tape repairs in inner margin or margins (mostly in volume 9), slight toning (at times a little heavier especially volumes 9 and 11) and occasional scattered spotting, contemporary vellum gilt, yapp edges, restoration to spines (tan calf gilt with title labels overlayed), green silk ties (mostly preserved, worn and some torn), some soiling to covers, a few hinges starting, some loss to extremities of spines and to title labels, corners bumped [Koeman Bl 60a; Koeman Bl 56], g.e., folio (550 x 370mm.), Amsterdam, Jan Blaeu, 1659-1662 Footnotes: COMPLETE SET OF BLAEU'S ATLAS MAIOR, INCLUDING EIGHT VOLUMES OF THE RARE FIRST EDITION IN SPANISH. The Atlas Maior was the crowning achievement of the Blaeu cartography family. Published from 1662 onward in five languages, this eleven to twelve volume work was a luxury status symbol reserved exclusively for Europe's elite. It evolved from a smaller, two-volume atlas started by Willem Blaeu, which his son Jan expanded into a six-volume collection by 1655, forming the first half of the Atlas Maior. The Spanish edition, the Atlas Mayor, is particularly rare and unusual. Printed over a 15-year period in highly limited numbers, its volumes lacked numbering and used inconsistent titles. Production began in 1657, however, it was never completed. 'When fire destroyed the Blaeu printing-house at the Gravenstraat in Amsterdam in 1672, the final volume was in the press and consequently lost. This volume was to contain the maps of Africa and America, probably to be incorporated in volume XI. But also the sheets for the volumes I-X were only available in a limited quantity' (Koemam Bl 60A). A pre-fire catalogue records that the 'Atlas en Espagnol est sous la presse & aura XII ou XIII volumes, dont les dix sont achevés' (Koeman Bl 60A), though no twelve- or thirteen-volume set was ever produced. The present set reflects this composite production history, and is consequently a mixed-language set, consistent with the fact that 'several plates from the volumes I-X were destroyed by the fire in 1672' (Koeman Bl 60 A). Volumes 1-7 are in Spanish, volume 8 (Italy) is in Latin throughout, volume 9, comprising Spain, Africa, and the first part of Asia (Asia quae est Geographiae Blavianae pars quarta, liber unus, bound at the end of the volume), is in Latin throughout. The second part of Asia, comprising the Novus Atlas Sinensis, here forms volume 10 and is in Spanish, with its letterpress title-page reading Atlas Nuevo de la extrema Asia. Volume 11 (America) is in Latin throughout. The present set contains 589 maps and plates in total. The Spanish-text edition of the Atlas Mayor (Koeman Bl 60A) calls for 544 plates; the higher count in this copy reflects its mixed Spanish and Latin-text composition, with a number of maps supplied from the Latin edition making up the difference. The set differs from the copy examined by Koeman in a few respects. The title-page of volume 1 in this copy reads Nuevo Atlas o Teatro del Mundo, en el qual, con gran cuydado, se proponen los Mapas y Descripciones de todo el universo por Juan Blaeu, dated 1659, a variant title not transcribed by Koeman under Bl 60A. The title page to volume 2 also differs from the Koeman copy, and reads Nuevo Atlas de las Partes Orientales de Europa, also dated 1659. The title-page of volume 6 bears the date 1659, rather than the 1662 date recorded by Koeman, and the title-page of volume 7 bears the date 1662 rather than 1667. Koeman does however record a variant copy with the 1662 date matching ours. The first map in volume 4, Paises Baxos, differs from the one in the set described Koeman, as ours is titled Novus XVII Inferioris Germaniae Provinciarum Typus. Only three sets of the Spanish edition have appeared at auction in the last forty years. Provenance: Juan de Dios Aguayo Manrique Muñil de Godoy (eighteenth century), marqués de Santaella, armorial bookplate in all volumes; José María de la Blanca Finat y Escrivá de Romaní (1904-1995), former Spain Minister of State Security and Mayor of Madrid, 'L. Escrivá de Romani' stamp surmounted by a ducal crown at foot of title-pages, and in lower margin of some plates and text leaves; Private collection, France. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing