Van Keulen — Sea Chart of the Coast of Morocco c.1690 (Rare Hand-Colored)
Van Keulen — Sea Chart of the Coast of Morocco c.1690 (Rare Hand-Colored)
A detailed sea chart of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, produced by the Van Keulen firm for the Dutch East India Company's trade routes to West Africa and the Indies. The Moroccan coast was a crucial waypoint on every voyage from Northern Europe to the Cape of Good Hope. Copper engraving with original hand-coloring in outline and wash; decorated with figurative title cartouche and distance-scale cartouche.
About The Van Keulen Family (active 1678–1885)
The Van Keulen family operated the most important Dutch nautical publishing firm for more than two centuries. Founded by Johannes van Keulen I (1654–1715) in Amsterdam in 1678 at the house "De Gekroonde Lootsman" (The Crowned Pilot), the firm was continued by his son Gerard (1678–1726), appointed official hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company in 1714 — a position the Van Keulens held until the VOC's liquidation.
About the Work
De Nieuwe Groote Lichtende Zee-Fakkel ("The New Great Illuminating Sea Torch") was published in five volumes 1681–1685, later expanded to six volumes in 1753 covering the East Indies. The firm produced working sea charts for Dutch merchant and naval navigators worldwide, from West Africa to Japan. Charts are distinguished by figurative title cartouches, distance-scale cartouches, and decorative compass roses.
Scarcity & Market Context
African coast charts (Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, Angola) are particularly scarce in the private market with original hand-coloring.
Institutional Holdings
Complete copies at the Maritime Museum (Rotterdam), the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the British Library, and major East India Company archives worldwide.
Dimensions
Sheet approximately 20 × 23 inches
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