West Africa.

Haas, Matthias after d'Anville, and Johan Baptist Homann. La Guinea de meme que la plus grande Partie du Pays du Negres apelles pour les Geographes moderne Ethiopie Inferieure... /Guinea Itself, as Well as the Greatest Portion of Nigritia or the Land of the Blacks, the One Called Ethiopia Inferior by Modern Geographers, the Other Southern Ethiopia "Gvinea propia, nec non Nigritiæ vel Terræ Nigrorvm maxima pars: geographis hodiernis dicta utraq[ue] Æthiopia inferior, & hujus quidem pars australis" Nuremberg Homann Heirs 1743
Copper engraved map of West Africa by Matthias Haas after d'Anville and Johann Bapt. Homann for the Homannn Heirs. Original colour, verso blank.
The map shows western Africa from the territory of present-day Gabon in the south to Niger, Mali, and Mauritania in the north; with much detail included in the coastal areas, although most of the interior is empty. Title in Latin and French to upper margin and a key to vignette to lower margin
Large vignette to lower left showing an African village engaged in the ivory trade, with the milage scales engraved on tusks

Ancient geographers referred to the whole of Africa as "Aethiopia," a name that, from the 15th century onward, gave way to the term Nigritia to designate the interior of the continent. Good impression; light soiling and toning to blank margins;Dampstain to edge of upper margin; old ink number to verso.

Johann Baptist Homann (1664 – 1724)
from 1687 Homann worked as a civil law notary in Nuremberg. He soon turned to engraving and cartography; in 1702 he founded his own publishing house.
Homann acquired renown as a leading German cartographer, and in 1715 was appointed Imperial Geographer by Emperor Charles VI. Giving such privileges to individuals was an added right that the Holy Roman Emperor enjoyed. In the same year he was also named a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Of particular significance to cartography were the imperial printing privileges (Latin: privilegia impressoria). These protected for a time the authors in all scientific fields such as printers, copper engravers, map makers and publishers. They were also very important as recommendation for potential customers.
In 1716 Homann published his masterpiece "Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt" Numerous maps were drawn up in cooperation with the engraver Christoph Weigel the Elder,
Homann died in Nuremberg. He was succeeded by the Homann heirs company, in business until 1848, known as "Homann Erben", "Homanniani Heredes", "Heritiers de Homann" abroad.
575 by 590mm (22¾ by 23¼ inches) to plate mark.   ref: 2580  €400