Beschreibung:

BLAEU, Willem and Johannes. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive Atlas Novus . Amsterdam: Johannes and Cornelius Blaeu, 1645-40-45-54-55. 6 volumes, 2° (500 x 320mm). Latin text. 8 hand-coloured engraved titles, 2 heightened in gold, imprints of volumes I-III and all the titles on letterpress overslips, 408 engraved MAPS AND PLATES, ALL FINELY HAND-COLOURED, all mounted on guards, sections within each volume divided by leather tabs. (Occasional light spotting mainly to margins, a few maps in the last three volumes browned). Original publisher's vellum, panelled in gilt with large central arabesques and cornerpieces, with contemporary manuscript paper labels pasted on upper covers, variant tooling on the bindings of volumes IV_VI, g.e. partially gouffered, cloth ties (spines of volumes I, II and VI slightly cracked, a few ties lacking). A FINE SET OF BLAEU'S THEATRUM in it's largest form as a 6 volume set. From 1662 Johannes Blaeu altered the form of his atlas publication with the issue of his Atlas Major in 11 volumes. This set comprises: Vol.I: The World, Arctic, Scandinavia, Russia, Eastern Europe, Germany and the Low Countries. 2 parts in one volume, letterpress half-title, 2 hand-coloured engraved titles, heightened in gold, 120 maps, most double-page, one half-page, 5 folding. (Inner margin of title creased, occasional light staining to margins.) Cf. Koeman I Bl 23a. This copy is a variant not recorded by Koeman, the title page to the first part being dated 1645 on an overslip, while the second part bears the engraved date of 1645. Vol.II: France, Spain, Asia, Africa and America. 2 parts in one volume. 2 hand-coloured engraved titles and 92 double-page maps, one folding. (Occasional spotting to margins.) Koeman I Bl 22. This copy varies from Koeman; it does not include the map Arragonia et Navarra (Koeman number 50), but has two additional maps of France at signatures ZZ and Aaa, a map of Orange and Avignon, and of the Dauphiné region of the Alps. The numbering of the maps of France in the first part are numbered 1-62, as opposed to Koeman's collation i-lxii. Vol.III: Italy, Greece, British Isles. Hand-coloured engraved title and 66 maps, 63 double-page, including the four additional maps of the British Isles bound in at the end. (Minor light discolouration to margins.) Koeman I Bl 36B, this copy with a variant collation of the signatures of the section on Italy, as noted in Koeman's description of the 1645 issue of this volume Bl 37A. Vol.IV: England and Wales. Hand-coloured engraved title and 58 maps, 57 double-page, 4 engraved illustrations, 2 hand-coloured. (5 maps browned, a few others lightly spotted). Koeman I Bl 43a. Vol.V: Scotland and Ireland. Hand-coloured engraved title heightened in gold, 55 double-page engraved maps. (Some text leaves and 7 maps browned, several others slightly stained and spotted.) Koeman I Bl 49. Vol.VI: China and Japan. Hand-coloured engraved title and 17 double-page maps. (Light spotting affecting several maps, some text leaves discoloured.) Koeman I Bl 53. (6)