Replica of Portolaan manuscript op perkament van de Middellandse Zee Ca. 1620
Placido Caloiro e Oliva (toeschrijving), Sicilië
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De portolanen zijn handgetekende kaarten die de kustlijnen met havens en baaien accentueren. Meestal beelden ze Middellandse-Zee af; soms tonen ze Europa of de wereld. Dit exemplaar heeft meerdere kompasrozen en kompaslijnen of ‘rhumb lines’.
Omwille van de lichtgevoeligheid kunnen we hier niet de echte perkamenten portolaan tonen.
Pen, ink, and wash colour on vellum, extending west to east from Cape Finisterre to the Holy Land, and north to south from the Adriatic to the north coast of Africa, islands in green and red, rivers in blue, numerous coastal place-names in red and sepia in semi-italic lettering, 16 large and small compass roses the majority with fleur-de-lys north points, 2 half compass roses, the whole chart divided by red, green, and sepia, rhumblines extending from the compass roses, sepia-ruled borders, scale upper right, two horizontal creases indicate that the chart was folded, some dampstaining to left hand portion of chart, remnants of paper backing to verso. The simplicity of the decoration could be an indication that the chart was produced for a ship’s captain or for the office of a mercantile clientele.
The chart bears some stylistic similarities with the those produced by the later members of the Oliva family of mapmakers; for example in the depiction of Malta and Rhodes in red with white cross, and in the placement of a compass rose in upon Sicily. The Olivas, a family of Catalan chartmakers, produced their first chart in Majorca before 1550. Charts signed by at least 16 members of the Oliva family are recorded, with dates between 1538 and 1673. The charts were produced in a number of ports, including Majorca, Messina, Livorno, Florence, Venice, Malta, Palermo and Marseilles.