L'Asie - H. Jaillot 1692

📜 Description
Original copperplate engraved map depicting the Asian continent, published in Paris by Hubert Jaillot in 1692 after the cartographic model of Nicolas Sanson under the title “L’Asie distinguée en ses principales parties”. This antique map represents the whole of Asia according to the geographic and political vision of late 17th-century French cartography, including the Ottoman territories in Asia, Arabia, Persia, India, China, Tartary, Japan and the principal archipelagos of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The composition is structured within a large geographic grid featuring a detailed articulation of coastlines, major river systems, inland regions, mountain chains and principal known settlements, while the hand-colored territorial boundaries distinguish empires, monarchies, kingdoms and political regions referenced in the extensive engraved title. The large ornamental cartouche placed in the upper left section of the sheet, enriched with allegorical figures, heraldic motifs and Baroque decorative elements, reflects the monumental language characteristic of major French cartographic productions of the period. The dedicatory inscription to the Dauphin of France places the work within the context of official geographic production intended for a cultivated and institutional audience. The map documents the European interpretation of Asia during the age of global commercial expansion and scientific geography, combining documentary function, political updating and decorative representation. The engraved line appears precise and highly legible, giving the work documentary and collectible significance within the field of historical cartography and antique prints.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas Sanson is regarded as one of the founders of modern French cartography during the 17th century, renowned for his rational and scientific approach to geographic representation. Hubert Jaillot, publisher and cartographer active in Paris, acquired and reworked numerous Sanson maps, transforming them into large decorative sheets intended for international circulation and scholarly consultation. This map belongs to the production of the “Atlas Nouveau”, one of the most important French cartographic publishing enterprises of the late 17th century, distinguished by large format, updated geographic content and elaborate decorative apparatus intended both for scientific use and representational display.

🧾 Technical Details
Type: Original geographical map
Author / Maker: Nicolas Sanson (cartographic model)
Publisher / Printer: Hubert Jaillot
Place: Paris
Period: 1692
Material: Paper
Technique: Copperplate engraving with etching and burin on copper
Subject / Title: “L’Asie distinguée en ses principales parties”
Edition / Print Run: From “Atlas Nouveau”
Dimensions: Sheet approx. 100 x 64 cm; engraved area approx. 88 x 54 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in excellent overall condition with light and normal signs of age consistent with period and use. Contemporary hand-coloring well preserved. Usual central fold from the original publication. Engraved surface well impressed and clearly legible. Blank verso.