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Description

Nice example of this rare coastal chart of Belle Isle and the contiguous coast of Bretagne, from Christophe Tassin's Carte générale de toutes les costes de France, pubilshed in Paris in 1634.

The chart includes soundings, anchorages, illustrations or naviable channels, harbors, shoals, rocks, islands and other important sailing details. Embellished with a decorative compass rose, sailing ships, a sea monster, etc.

Tassin's atlas is first set of charts to focus exclusively on the coast of France, and the earliest sea atlas published in France. Tassin's work enjoyed a long run of importance. Originally published by order of Cardinal Richelieu in 1634, Tassin would later sell the plates for his atlas to Antoine de Fer, who re-issued the atlas with some modifications. Antoine's son Nicolas De Fer would later re-issue the work with an addtional 10 plates and modification of the plates, in 1676, adding titles to the charts and adding a collection of fortifications. The charts were again re-issued by Pieter Mortier in 1695 and 1702.

The atlas is very rare on the market, with only a single example appearing in AMPR. For an illustration of the complete set of maps, please visit the website of the BNF: gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b77100033

Condition Description
Minor damp staining, else a nice example.
Reference
Pastoureau, M., Tassin V.
Christopher Tassin Biography

Nicolas Tassin (fl. 1633-55) was appointed 'royal cartographer' at Dijon before setting up as an engraver in Paris where he issued various collections of small maps and plans of France, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. Tassin first published his maps in his own atlas Cartes Generale de Toutes Les Provinces de France in 1634, with an enlarged second edition in 1637 (France, royaumes et provinces d'Europe).