Asiae Pars Potissima

A finely engraved early eighteenth century map of Central Asia, from Heinrich Scherer's Atlas Novus. The landmass is shown on an interesting isometric projection from the north, so that the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator run in large arcs across the map.

The centre of the map is effectively the Caspian Sea, and runs the full latitude of Russia, from Scandinavia in the West to the coasts of Tartary and Mongolia in the East. The bottom half of the map prominently displays the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent.

Taken from Atlas Novus exhibens orbem terraguem per naturae opera, historiae navae acveterus monumenta, artistique geographicae leges et praecepta...published in eight volumes from 1702-1710 in Munich. Scherer, a devout Jesuit, produced this geographical compendium to depict the Catholic hierarchy and the spread of Jesuit missions throughout the world.

The 180 maps included in this work were prepared between 1699 and 1700 and were engraved by Leonard Hecknaeur, Joseph Montelegre or Matthus Wolfgang with each volume introduced by fine allegorical frontispieces by the same engravers.

Copper engraving, in very good condition.