L'Asia secondo le ultime osservazioni

Highly attractive map of Asia with a large cartouche illustrating the flora and fauna of the landmass.

Cassini's map of Asia divides the continent into vast regions with little detail of individual countries. For example, the Indian sub-continent, at this time divided into multiple independent kingdoms, is generally entitled as the Moghul Empire. Arabia is marked as being just as large as India and independent from the Ottoman Empire and there is a vast amorphous realm entitled "Tartaria Independiente" which is basically Central Asia, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and many other modern countries. On its east lies China and Chinese Tartary, another amorphous region encompassing multiple countries then and now. There is little interior detail of any accuracy although Cassini does make the map look as if it has geographical merit as he adds multiple mountain ranges, rivers and other topographical features, which may or may not have been there. Despite its geographical lack of credibility, Cassini's map is difficult to surpass in its artistic merit. It bears a large cartouche on the lower right, more reminiscent of a map from the late 17th or early 18th century; allegorically represented by a beautiful female figure, Asia reclines on a camel, an animal most famously associated with the continent. She is surrounded by putti (cherubs) and holds a large cornucopia pouring forth gold and jewels, a reference to the legendary wealth of Asia. Unusually, both the map and the cartouche are in original hand colour. [AS1182]