America

Jodocus Hondius, 1606 :
America.  15 x 19.5 inches. Excellent. A fine example in full original color.

$9200.

Jodocus Hondius the elder is regarded as one of the foremost cartographers of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. His acquisition in 1604 of the copper-plates used for the Mercator atlas launched the Dutch map trade into the new century and, in Koeman's words, `won [the Mercator atlas] its proper fame'.

In addition to the original Mercator plates, Hondius prepared for the atlas new plates of his own which drew on more current knowledge; his map of the Americas is a prime example of this. Mercator's corresponding map, prepared by his son Michael and first published in 1595, was essentially based on the father's large world map of 1569, and as a result was a venerable but antiquated document by its 1595 appearance; Hondius' work, in contrast, was fresh when introduced and delineated the continent in fine accuracy for its day. In addition, he drew on the accounts of voyages as published by Theodore de Bry during the last decade of the sixteenth century to provide pictorial representations of the New World. These include depictions of Virginia and Florida from Parts I and II of de Bry's voyages, the expeditions of John White and Jacque Le Moyne, and Part III, the adventures of Hans Staden. Staden learned much while in the captivity of the Tupinamba Indians of Brazil, and an illustration from the account of his voyage appears in the lower left of Hondius' map. Relevant text from the De Bry account follows (translation from Michael Alexander):

. . . Drinks are also made by the women. They boil mandioca, then when it has cooled they chew the boiled roots. After all has been chewed it is put back in the pot, mixed with water, and reheated. They pour the liquid into special vessels which are half buried in the ground, and leave it for two days to ferment. It is thick but pleasant flavoured. Each hut makes its own drink and when a village desires to make merry, which generally happens once a month, the men go first to one hut and drink there until the drink is finished; then they go round the other huts drinking their fill until there is nothing left. When they drink they gather round the pots sitting, come on fire sticks, others on the ground. The women help them to the liquor in an orderly manner. The drinkers sing and dance round the pots and on the spot where they drink they void themselves of their wine. The drinking lasts the whole night, with dancing between the fires and blowing of trumpets. They make a terrible noise and they get drunk, but they rarely quarrel. They also behave generously to each other and if one man has more food than his neighbour he will share it with him.