Rare Antique Print – PALERMO-SICILY-PLAN – [van der Aa-c.1725]

Subject: Antique print, titled: ”Panormus urbs metropolis Siciliae.” – Original and rare antique map/plan of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Condition: Very good, given age. Original folds as issued. Ocassional very small tears in paper edges, not effecting image. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully.

Medium: Engraving on hand laid (verge type with chainlines) paper. Watermark: lettering

Size (in cm): The overall size is ca. 50 x 38.5 cm. The image size is ca. 46.2 x 32.2 cm.

Size (in inch): The overall size is ca. 19.7 x 15.2 inch. The image size is ca. 18.2 x 12.7 inch.

Part Number: 66397

Location: PCO-B1-12

Description: This plate originates from the very scarse: ‘La Galerie Agreable du Monde (…). Tome premier d’ Afrique.’, published by P. van der Aa, Leyden, c. 1725. This famous work was published in 66 parts and is the biggest print / map book ever published. Van der Aa incorporated plates by other publishers such as Blaeu, Visscher, de Wit, meurs, Halma, Mortier, Allard in this work and often added broad decorative borders. Probably the costliest and complete universal geographic work ever produced. It is said that only 100 copies were printed. Ref: Koeman Aa9; Phillips 2780 note.

Artists and Engravers: Made by an anonymous engraver after ‘Pieter van der Aa’. Pieter van der Aa (Leiden 1659-1733) was a Dutch publisher best known for preparing maps and atlases. The Galerie Agreable contains plates and maps by the best Dutch engravers: Luiken, Goeree, Mulder, Stoopendaal, Aldert Meijer, Romeyn de Hooghe, ao.