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Seek and Ye Shall Find … an unidentified world map in a Dutch bible
by Werner Löwenhardt with comments by Rodney W. Shirley.
IN JUNE 1982 a collector friend, Wilco Poortman, told me about a rare discovery of two identical Dutch Protestant bibles published in 1660 which contained two totally different sets of maps. One contained a set of five maps by Nicholaes Visscher dated 1642, which were common in that period, but the other contained a set of maps, one signed by Danckerum Danckerts, dated later, which gave him that 'special' feeling collectors get when they sense a real discovery.
Dancker Danckerts' bible map of 1658 is a composite one, with the central oval map taken from a much earlier plate which has not yet been identified. Hollandia Nova, or Australia, has been added later (By courtesy of Werner Löwenhardt).
Nicolaes Visscher's world map was first published in the Ravesteyn Bible of 1657. The corner figures and other features were borrowed by Danckerts for his bible map, and the map as a whole was copied by several other imitators (By courtesy of Rodney W. Shirley).
Cartouche from Dancker Danckerts' bible map of 1658 (By courtesy of Werner Löwenhardt).
Dancker Danckerts' bible map of 1658 is a composite one, with the central oval map taken from a much earlier plate which has not yet been identified. Hollandia Nova, or Australia, has been added later (By courtesy of Werner Löwenhardt).
Nicolaes Visscher's world map was first published in the Ravesteyn Bible of 1657. The corner figures and other features were borrowed by Danckerts for his bible map, and the map as a whole was copied by several other imitators (By courtesy of Rodney W. Shirley).
Cartouche from Dancker Danckerts' bible map of 1658 (By courtesy of Werner Löwenhardt).
He had this feeling particularly about the world map which was dated 1658 and looked most unusual. Neither my friend nor I had ever seen this map illustrated in a reference book and I decided to show it to Rodney Shirley, President of the International Map Collectors' Society and a collector of world maps. To my great surprise the map was also completely unknown to him despite the eight years of research which he has done for his new book, The Mapping of the World. (Due to be published shortly by The Holland Press. Ed.)
In the four corners of the Danckerts map there are four female figures representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America which are clearly 'borrowed' from a Visscher world map. There are also two celestial hemispheres on the lower right of the map. The other Danckerts maps in the bible are 'Tabula Geographica in qu a Paradis (no name) anno 1646','… Heirtochten en rustplaetsen der Kinderen Israels (monogram C.D. but no date); 'Jerusalem' (no date, no name) and 'Pauls travels' signed by C. Danckerts (no date). Both bibles were published in 1660 by 'De weduwe wijlen Paulus Aertz. van Ravesteyn T'Amsterdam'.
I was lucky to be able to acquire this set of Danckerts maps from Mr Poortman in exchange for a two-volume de luxe edition of the Doré bible. These finds were of particular interest to us both as we are working together on the research for a book about Bible maps. Also, this discovery of two identical bibles with two totally different sets of maps provided us with further proof that Dutch bibles, starting with the first 'Statenbybel' in 1637, were printed without any maps and prints. A purchaser in those days would order a bible to be bound in vellum or leather and at the same time would choose from the maps which the publisher had in stock and have them inserted. That is why the published date of a bible has no direct connection with a date on a map and two bibles with the same publishing date had different sets of maps dated sometimes ten or more years later.
In the four corners of the Danckerts map there are four female figures representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America which are clearly 'borrowed' from a Visscher world map. There are also two celestial hemispheres on the lower right of the map. The other Danckerts maps in the bible are 'Tabula Geographica in qu a Paradis (no name) anno 1646','… Heirtochten en rustplaetsen der Kinderen Israels (monogram C.D. but no date); 'Jerusalem' (no date, no name) and 'Pauls travels' signed by C. Danckerts (no date). Both bibles were published in 1660 by 'De weduwe wijlen Paulus Aertz. van Ravesteyn T'Amsterdam'.
I was lucky to be able to acquire this set of Danckerts maps from Mr Poortman in exchange for a two-volume de luxe edition of the Doré bible. These finds were of particular interest to us both as we are working together on the research for a book about Bible maps. Also, this discovery of two identical bibles with two totally different sets of maps provided us with further proof that Dutch bibles, starting with the first 'Statenbybel' in 1637, were printed without any maps and prints. A purchaser in those days would order a bible to be bound in vellum or leather and at the same time would choose from the maps which the publisher had in stock and have them inserted. That is why the published date of a bible has no direct connection with a date on a map and two bibles with the same publishing date had different sets of maps dated sometimes ten or more years later.
- 1-12-1983
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