Nautical chart of the Mediterranean area

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Autore: Anonymous

Anno: 1401-1500

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Anonymous
Portolan Chart
Italy, s. XVex
Nautical chart of the Mediterranean area, including Europe with British Isles and part of Scandinavia.
Parchment, f. 1 (full skin), 675 × 810 (660 × 810 including extension to the right) mm. Borders are triple ruled in black and red on top and bottom only. Black and red ink for nomenclature in a minuscule hand;
land masses outlined in black ink (Ireland overtraced in green, Scotland in pale red, traces of ocher on other coasts) with islands painted gold, green, red or blue; no compass roses, instead the symbols for the 4 principal directions are inscribed on two rhumb line intersections, one on the upper and one on the right sides; several rhumb line patterns, some with 32 lines, many only partial; a simple latitude scale numbered from 24° to 54° N (scale appears to have been added later since it is drawn over portions of islands in the Atlantic and seems to be in another hand), no longitude; 2 unnumbered scales of distance (drawn in conjunction with upper and lower borders); simple decoration with a few vignettes of cities, banners, and one large figure, little color.

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