Antique Map-IRAN-SHAH ABBAS II-AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-INDIA-Sanson-1652

Description This handcoloured print shows an important 17th-century map of Iran. The map depicts Iran at the time of Shah Abbas II of the Safavid dynasty. It is interesting to note that present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan and even part of India sit within Iran’s borders, all of which were lost in due course by the kings of the Qajar dynasty. Also, as Sufism was the religion of Iran at the time of the Safavid dynasty, the title of the map refers to the “Empire of the Sufi of the Persians”., Made by an anonymous engraver after Nicolas Sanson d’Abbeville. Medium: Engraving on hand laid (verge) paper. Sheet size: 26.2 x 20.2 cm (10.31 x 7.95 inch). Image size: 24 x 18.7 cm. (9.45 x 7.36 inch). Condition: good, given age. Folds as published. Two small tears in upper folds restored. Oil stain in upper right corner. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully. MAP-IRAN-SHAH ABBAS II-AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-INDIA | RBOS-A9-30 BACKGROUND INFORMATION This attractive print was published in “L’Asie en plusieurs cartes nouvelles, et exacts; & and various traits de geographie, et d’histoire. La ou sont descripts succinctement, & avec une belle method, & facile ses empires, ses monarchies, ses estats, &c. les moeurs, les langues, les religions, les richesses de ses peuples, &c. Et ce qu’il y a de plus beau, & de plus rare dans toutes ses parties, & dans ses isles,” in Paris by Nicolas Sanson, the greatest 17th-century French cartographer. Biography artist: Nicholas Sanson (1600 ? 1667) and his descendents were important French cartographer’s active through the 17th century. Sanson started his career as a historian where, it is said, he turned to cartography as a way to illustrate his historical studies. In the course of his research some of his fine maps came to the attention of King Louis XIII who, admiring the quality of his work, appointed Sanson ‘Geographe Ordinaire du Roi’. Sanson’s duties in this coved position included advising the King on matters of Geography and compiling the royal cartographic archive. Sanson’s corpus of some three hundred maps initiated the golden age of French Cartography.