Rare early caricature map from the allied viewpoint of England, France, the Ottoman Empire, poking fun at the Russians at the start of the Crimean War (1853-1856).

Signed Done by T. O. on the southern coast of Asiatic Turkey, the map was created by English illustrator, engraver and satirist Thomas Onwhyn (c.1813 - 1886). Alongside the legendary artist Fred W. Rose (1849-1915) creator of the 'octopus map', they are best known for establishing this genre of satirical anthropomorphic maps from the mid-19th Century. The map was published by brothers William Frederick Rock and Henry Rock, and their brother-in-law, John Payne (the company, Rock Brothers & Payne).

The Crimean War began in 1853 when Russia invaded the Danubian regions of Wallachia and Moldavia, then under Ottoman control. Further disputes over religious sites also came into play as most of the holiest churches and shrines were located in Ottoman territory.

In early 1854, Britain and France became allies with the Ottoman Empire for fear of Russian expansionism into their territories. Successful military action from the Turks and assisted force and political pressure from Britain and France pushed Russia back to the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea - where the main conflict was fought.

The map is marked May 30th 1854, which dates it prior to the Battles of Alma (Sept 1854), Balaklava (Oct 1854) and Inkerman (Nov 1854), and the Siege of Sevastopol (Oct 1854 - Sept 1855).

The main protagonists featured in the scene are the two sides of the conflict - the British lion standing guard, the French imperial eagle, an imaginative turkey for Turkey and the Central European countries. Russia is pictured as a rather timid-looking bear, labelled with unflattering terms such as "slavery", "oppression", "cruelty", wearing a crown of "despotism" and flailing a whip made of skulls. Poland, whose name is written in bones, is shown subjugated by her neighbour Russia. Prussia is portrayed as an indecisive weathervane at the centre of conflict.

The double-headed eagle of the Austria-Hungary clutches letters marked "gratitude" and "duty" with a cracked shield marked "Treaty of Vienna" referring to Congress of Vienna signed 1815 looking to establish a balance of power and prevent expansionism in Europe.

The Anglo-French fleet are located in the Black Sea clipping the claws of the Russian bear at Sevastopol - referring to the allied attack on Russia's naval base. Another Allied fleet led by Admiral Charles Napier are located in the Baltic making their way towards Finland, with supportive Danish bellow providing gusto and an encouraging shout of "Go It Charley" from Sweden - an operation launched from Spithead in March 1854.

Juxtaposed against the conflict shown in this map are more light-hearted national portraits and terribly bad puns. Tunisia is depicted as a dancing lioness playing the banjo; Elba, where Napoleon was exiled and escaped (1814-15) is detailed as his signature bicorn hat; the Turkish Turkey holds an emptying bottle of port and labelled "The Sublime Porte" in the northmost part of Turkey referring to the gateway to the Ottoman Empire, and Malta is shown as a tankard of foaming malt.

Another clever play on words, the scale is presented as a literal weighing scale showing a "balance of power". Russian bear on one side, turkeys, lion and eagle on the other - a very quick overview of the diplomatic relations shown on the map.

As the Crimean War slowly ground on with increasing reports of incompetence and unnecessary suffering, the British public lost their appetite for gruesome and certainly humorous depictions of the war, which accounts for the rarity of this piece - despite it being 'one of the most famous 19th-century caricature maps' [British Library: Maps X.6168].