Lot 566
(N & S America) "Peru Amstelodami, Guiljelmus Blaeu excudit." Ca. 1640s, printed area 14 3/4" high x 19 1/4" wide, with orginal hand outline color and perhaps a light wash; the cartouche, with a scale of miles, in full original color. This lovely view by William Blaeu was printed in Amsterdam. It shows the Audiencia of Peru, established in 1542 (the Viceroyalty of Peru consisted of most of South America at this time and was sub-divided into several audiencias for administrative purposes), with north pointing to the viewer's left as indicated by the compass rose at lower right.
A quartet of Spanish galleons ply the coastal waters amid several spouting whales equal in size to the ships. Inland we note the high mountain Lake Titicaca and toward the coast Lima and its seaport Callao. At this period, gold and silver mined nearer the Pacific coast made its way to Lima for shipment to Panama, then across the isthmus to Havana en route to eventual trans-shipment to Spain in the annual treasure fleets, many of which never successfully made the crossing.
The sheet margins have been very slightly trimmed, though still ample and the paper has toned from age, otherwise this is an excellent copy with two full pages of Latin text on verso. Rare and important to the history of Spanish Colonial America.
Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500.
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