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One of the finest and most beautifully designed Dutch maps of the 17th Century, this decorative Mercator-projection World map was engraved by Joshua van der Ende for the Amsterdam cartographer, Willem Blaeu [1571-1638], and first appeared in 1606. It was incorporated into all Blaeu Atlas productions between 1630 and 1658, including those published by Willem's son, Johannes Blaeu. In its border decoration map draws heavily from classical history and mythology, the top border incorporating symbolic images of the Sun & Moon and the five known planets. The lower border mirrors these seven heavenly bodies with the seven great wonders of the classical World, including the Pyramid of Cheops, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The side borders in turn mirror each other in depicting, on the left, the four Elements of Fire, Air, Water & Earth and, on the right, the Four Seasons. Blaeu's map would become a design template for many other important Dutch mapmakers in...