Oval Map of Hainaut.

Mercator Gerhard, Hondius Jodicus. Abraham Goos. Le Comte de Hainaut. "Comitatus Hannonia." Amsterdam, " Ex officiana JoannisJanssonii" 1628
Copper engraved map of Hainaut, from Gerhard Mercator's "Atlas Minor". French text to verso.
The distinctive decorative map is by Abraham Goos : an oval surrounded by strap work ornamentation, the map first appeared in Goos's " Nieuw Netherlandtsch Caertboeck" of 1616. Dark impression; worm hole to edge of lower blank margin far from plate; spots and stains to left blank margin, some entering plate; some show through of text from verso.

Jodicus Hondius published the first "Atlas Minor" in 1607 in response to the idea that there was a market for smaller, handier and cheaper Atlases to make the maps of Mercator available to a wider public; he probably engraved the maps himself.
The early editions were printed by Hondius and jointly sold by Corn. Claes and Joh. Janssonius, who probably supplied and owned the letterpress.
With Hondius death in 1612 the further editions were published still under his name by his widow and heirs until 1621 when the plates were sold to a London editor.
Koeman: Me194. 120 by 175mm (4¾ by 7 inches).   ref: 2374  €100