Copperplate engraving, original hand colour. This decorative sea chart by Pieter Goos presents the entire west coast of Africafrom Cabo Verde (Cape Verde Islands) in the northwest to Cabo de Bona Esperanca (Cape of Good Hope) in the southeast. Designed for navigators during the height of the Dutch maritime empire, it is both a working chart and a statement of power and prestige, reflecting the commercial priorities and geographic knowledge of the Dutch Republic in the 17th century. The chart is oriented with north to the top and includes a dense web of rhumb lines radiating from ornate compass roses, indicating the sixteen principal wind directionsa navigational aid standard in Dutch sea charts of the period. Coastal features are highly detailed, with numerous place names, anchorages, and soundings marked along the African shoreline. Condition: Fair to good. Short tears to margins and some chipping to edges. Professionally repaired with Japanese tissue. Trimmed close to the margins with some loss to corner at the cartouche and upper right corner inside the platemark. The map covers: The Cape Verde Islands in the northwest The Guinea Coast (present-day Senegal to Nigeria), marked with trading posts and estuaries The Gold Coast and Slave Coast, central to Dutch trade in gold and enslaved Africans The Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra The Congo River estuary. (Zaire River.) The southern coast of Angola The tip of southern Africa, including Cape of Good Hope, marking the route to the Indian Ocean Major rivers, including the Senegal, Gambia, and Congo, are delineated where known. Coastal promontories are rendered pictorially, often exaggerated for visibility from the sea. Inland areas remain largely blankstandard for a nautical chart of this periodemphasising maritime utility over terrestrial detail. A mileage scale in Dutch, Spanish, and English leagues, aiding international navigation. Context and Significance: Goos published this chart in his Zee-Atlas ofte Water-Wereld (Amsterdam, 1666), a landmark maritime atlas that catered to both professional mariners and wealthy merchants. The Pas-Caart van Guinea was especially relevant during a period when the Dutch West India Company (WIC) was deeply involved in West African trade, including the transatlantic slave trade. This chart not only guided Dutch ships but also symbolised their reach and authority in global commerce. Pieter Goos belonged to a family of Amsterdam mapmakers and was known for merging practical chart-making with elaborate artistic style. His charts were used well into the 18th century, prized for both their beauty and utility. 17600
Publisher: Pieter Goos
Date Published: Circa 1666
Publication Place: Amsterdam
Condition: Fair.
