1750 Bellin Map of the Kuril Islands
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Description: A beautiful example of Bellin's c. 1750 map of the Kuril Islands. The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately 1,300 km (810 mi) northeast from Hokkaido, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. Traditionally the Kuriles are part of Japan however have been under Russian control since World War II. Today there is an ongoing dispute between Japan and Russia over which country has jurisdiction over the southernmost four islands in the Kuril archipelago. Cartographically this map is based on a larger map of Russia composed by Laurent several years previous. Prepared by J. Bellin for Abbe Provost's L`Histoire Generale des Voyages.
Date: c. 1750
Source: Provost, A., L`Histoire Generale des Voyages, c. 1750.
References: Yale University, SML, Map Collection, Locked, Room 707 , Cross 5691 1580.
Cartographer: Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703 - 1772) is one of the most important cartographers of the 18th century. With a career spanning some 50 years, Bellin is an important transitional cartographer. His long career as "hydrographer" and "Ingénieur Hydrographe" to the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine resulted in the completion of hundreds of high quality nautical charts of practically everywhere in the world. Bellin's work focuses on accuracy and tends to be less decorative than the earlier 17th and 18th century work of predecessors such as Homann. In addition to numerous works published during his lifetime, many of his maps were published posthumously. He was succeeded in his position by student Rigobert Bonne. Click here for a list of rare maps from Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.
Size: Printed area measures 11 x 10 inches (27.94 x 25.4 centimeters)
Condition: Very good. Original fold lines. Else clean.
Code: Kouriles-bellin-1750 (to order by phone call: 646-320-8650)
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