Librairie Loeb-Larocque
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Oliva F.
Portulan atlas on vellum of the Mediterranean with 10 maritime charts. Marseille,
1658. In attractive strong original colours. 510x340 mm. Precious and rare nautical
atlas (sea chart-book), consisting of 10 portulan charts by a member of the leading
family of chart-makers of the Mediterranean Francesco Oliva (François Ollive). In
Latin and French, the 10 manuscript charts (six double page - 410 x 670mm. and
four single page) drawn in black ink, gouache and enhanced with liquid gold, on
parchment pasted on thick cardboard supports and bound in a contemp. vellum
binding. Lavish decorated motifs on compass roses, scale bars, armorial shields and
name cartouches, each chart within a simple yellow border, the outlines in sepia,
main islands in gold, the rest in red, blue, green, coastlines red, blue, green and
pink, rivers in blue, main names in red and the rest in brown ink, rhumb lines in
sepia, red and green.
Some typical signs of wear, particularly on the borders, resulting in some tears and
losses which in some cases have been reinstalled.
Dimensions: 510 x 337 mm for the binding. Double page charts 410 x 670mm.
Ownership label of Gertrude Hamilton (1887-1961), with the Hamilton family
motto “Veridis et Fructifera”, pasted to upper marbled paper paste down.
1. Double page chart: Mediterranean: Greece and Asia Minor with the coasts of
Africa; in a cartouche on the lower right corner: “Franciscus Oliva / Me Fecit in
Civita / Marsilia / Anno Domini / 1658 ».
2. Double page chart: Mediterranean: Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, with the
Adriatic and North African coasts
3. Double page chart: Mediterranean: Portugal, Spain, France, Balearic
Islands with the coasts of the Mediterranean ‘Africa.
4. Single page chart: Malta.
5. Single page chart: Balearic Islands.
6. Double page chart: Sicily. The chart is orientated with
south to the top.
7. Double page chart: Corsica and Sardinia
8. Single page chart: Crete (Candia)
9. Single page chart: Cyprus
10. Double page chart: Complete
Mediterranean
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