The Beauty of Rare and Old Maps
It is increasingly rare to come across a paper map nowadays when GPS or Google/Apple Maps are but a click away on our devices. To us, maps are, after all, a means to reaching a destination. But what were maps like when humankind first started exploring the world? Join Yasho as she delves into the imaginations of map-makers and marvels at the beauty of rare and old maps.
I first encountered rare maps during the course of my job handling donations. Some of these maps are not only beautifully illustrated and visually appealing, they also tell stories of historical events. I am most fascinated with maps from the 16th to 19th centuries.
One of the most prominent early map-makers is Claudius Ptolemy (c. 87–168 BCE). A philosopher, astronomer and geographer, he is credited as the father of cartography. He was the first to use a rigorous, scientific method to gather, organise and present data. His work, written in ancient Greek, was lost to the world until it was translated into Arabic by Islamic scholars around the ninth century. The earliest extant manuscipt of his work Geographia in Arabic is presumed to date from the 12th century.¹
Map-making came to prominence from the 16th century onwards with the advent of ship-building technology and laid the foundation for global explorations. Giacomo Gastaldl (c. 1500–65), Gerard Mercator (1512–94), Abraham Ortelius (1527–98), Theodore de Bry (1528–98), Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563–1610), Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612), Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571–1638), Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703–72) are noteworthy names in cartography.² Featuring exquisitely drawn sailing ships, wild animals and natives, these maps often blur the lines between fact and fiction. Some even detailed such convincing illustrations of sea monsters that I had to stop and wonder if they were real.
My favourite maps are those with decorated frames or borders with costumed figures, town views and portraits of kings. For example, this Blaeu map of Asia from the 17th century features 10 couples who represent Asia (vignettes found on the left and right borders) and beautiful illustrations of major port cities in Asia such as Calcutta, Goa and Macau (at the top). These illustrations are usually a reflection of how European explorers perceived these destinations.
Similarly, the following engraved wall map, Carte d’Asie divisée…, has a decorative border containing 20 vignettes from Biblical and Asian history and myths. This is my favourite map as it contains exquisitely drawn illustrations that must have taken not only time and care but also an immense amount of skill. It really is breathtakingly beautiful.
I hadn’t realised that some of these maps include drawings of animals that were regarded exotic. A closer look at the middle left section of A new plaine and exact map of Asia (above) reveals drawings of some wild birds and animals. I’d like to imagine that these drawings were included to enchant explorers and perhaps also to inspire them to look out for these animals. While the illustrations of wild animals and birds in early maps might have been to pique the curiosity of explorers, drawings of sea monsters could have served as warnings to explorers about the unknown perils of the sea.
In the above map, German cartographer Petermann A (1822–1878) depicted the local inhabitants of, as well as birds and fauna on, the islands of Java and Borneo. Interestingly, it also features what looks to be a bride from the higher classes (judging by her attire) Borneo in the 19th century.
In a 19th-century map by J. Rapkin (above), there is an illustration of a “bee bear”. Now, no one has ever heard of, or much less seen, a “bee bear”, of course. But I was instantly enchanted by the sheer imaginativeness of the artist.
While we do not use these old maps for navigation, they are special because they not only reflect what the map-makers are obsessed with, but they also transport us to another time altogether.
These fascinating maps from the 16th to the 19th centuries can be found in the National Library’s map collection. Most of these maps have been digitised and you can view them at the National Library’s BookSG website.
Yashodha Devi is a Donors manager with the National Library, Singapore. She handles donations of various subjects and formats such as manuscripts, photographs, books and maps.
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[1] National Library Board, Visualising Space: Maps of Singapore and the region: collections from the National Library and National Archives of Singapore (Singapore: National Library Board, 2015), 36, 39. (Call No.: RSING 911.5957 SIN)
[2] National Library Board, Visualising Space: Maps of Singapore and the region: collections from the National Library and National Archives of Singapore (Singapore: National Library Board, 2015), 39, 46. (Call No.: RSING 911.5957 SIN)
