| Method | Copper engraved with early hand colour |
| Artist | Chamouin, Jean Baptiste Marie |
| Published | Gravé par Chamouin, rue de la Harpe, No. 35. Pelicier scr. [Paris, 1812] |
| Dimensions | 305 x 220 mm |
| Notes |
An early nineteenth century French map of the Lands of the Old Testament, covering Iaphet (modern Turkey and Armenia), Shem (the Holy Land and Mesopotamia) and Cham (Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and modern Ethiopia), from Atlas Complet Du Precis De La Geographie Universelle De M. Malte-Brun by Pierre Lapie. The map is labelled with the names of the various biblical tribes, nations, and kingdoms, rather than divided into territories, though place names are glossed in French. Ophir, the mythical land of gold, is tentatively located on the Gulf of Oman, and the adversarial 'Magog' is located on the Caspian sea, perhaps inviting a comparison with the later Turkic and Scythian peoples of the region. In the bottom left corner, the title is enclosed in a vignetted tent, with a herdsman nearby driving sheep and camels. Jean Baptiste Marie Chamouin (1768-c.1845) was a French engraver and mapmaker, known predominantly for his engraved views of Paris. Pierre M. Lapie (fl. 1779 - 1850) and his son Alexandre Emile Lapie (fl. 1809 - 1850) were French cartographers and engravers active in the early part of the 19th century. The Lapies were commissioned officers in the French army holding the ranks of Colonel and Capitan, respectively. Alexander enjoyed the title of "First Geographer to the King", and this title appears on several of his atlases. Working separately and jointly they published four important atlases, an 1811 Atlas of the French Empire (Alexander), the 1812 'Atlas Classique et Universel' (Pierre), the 'Atlas Universel de Geographie Ancienne et Modern' (joint issue), and the 1848 'Atlas Militaire' (Alexander). They also issued many smaller maps and independent issues. All of these are products of exceptional beauty and detail. Condition: Time toning to edges of sheet. Puncture to bottom of left margin |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £100.00 |
| Stock ID | 48525 |