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Bidding has ended on this item. Item:1828 (1887) Dumont D'Urville Chart N. SULAWESI CELEBES  |
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Print
Report itemCarte
de La Partie Septentrionale de L'Ile Célèbes
67 x 43 cm copperplate engraving, 70 x 52 cm sheet size, Dépôt-général de la Marine, Paris, engraved 1833, printed 1887 We are pleased to offer this extremely scarce and expertly engraved chart of the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes) compiled under the direction of the renowned French explorer and naval officer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842) during his three year circumnavigation of the globe in command of the Astrolabe which began in 1826. The survey work for the chart was performed in July and August of 1828 and the original plate was engraved and first published in 1833 by the master Jean-François Caplin (1779-1840?) with minor revisions issued in 1867, 1885 and for this printing made in 1887. Caplin was considered a master of topographical engraving, lecturing on his art at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and his skill is abundantly evident in this beautiful chart. The scarcity of the chart can hardly be overstated - we were unable to identify any extant loose examples whatsoever. While the chart is of undeniable historical importance, the beauty of the engraving work is such that it stands as a work of art in its own right.
We begin our survey of the chart with the strait separating Sulawesi from Lembeh with the location of what is the port city of Bitung not even marked as a sleepy fishing village. Note the dense layers of hachure engraving to depict the topography of the volcanic mountains:
Manado of course is shown as the site of Fort Amsterdam, established by the Dutch East India Company in 1658, and a network of buildings described by D'Urville as "wooden houses under thatched roofs" are shown:
Note meticulous depth soundings, indications of currents:  To
get a sense of chart detail, consider that the distance from the peak
of Klobat Volcano to the fishing village of Kema as
seen in the
enlarged photo below measures just 5 cm actual size. Note "overspill"
of coastline into lower margin:
Condition
- Please note carefully: Chart
is in excellent
condition as can be ascertained from photos, strong impression with
distinct platemark, excellent quality laid paper with large Dépôt-général
de la Marine watermark. Inquiries
welcome and we encourage you to visit our other auctions
on eBay.
Title cartouche - it is a testament to the skill of D'Urville and his crew that this chart was still in use by navigators with only minor revisions here some sixty years after its compilation:
Note: Final auction price includes insured shipment within continental United States. All other customers to pay actual shipping costs via traceable means including full insurance. International buyers are wholly responsible for any applicable customs fees, duties or taxes upon receipt; these charges are NOT included in shipping charges or unit price. International buyers should verify what charges would apply to any resultant transaction with customs officials in their countries prior to bidding. Such charges are typically collected by the courier, e.g. FedEx, and are NOT additional shipping or handling fees. Terms and Conditions - Please read carefully: Payment accepted via PayPal. This secure eBay-owned service allow buyers around the world to use existing credit cards to make purchases and will result in immediate shipment. Please note that we do not bill credit cards directly - payment must be processed through PayPal. If you are unable or unwilling to utilise this convenient means of electronic payment, please contact us prior to placing any bids to see if alternate payment arrangements can be made. Bank wire transfers are acceptable on auctions over $500.00 or in countries where PayPal is not available; on auctions over $2000.00 bank wire transfer is preferred. Personal cheques will not be accepted. Successful bidders are expected to adhere to eBay policies in establishing contact within three days of auction closing time and completing transactions in a timely manner. We reserve the right to declare this auction void if there is a disruption to eBay operations during the two hour period prior to auction close. In such event, all bidders will be notified and the item will be relisted. - Bidders are cautioned that the problem of fraudulent "second chance offer" emails sent to unsuccessful bidders on eBay auctions has reached epidemic proportions. Please be advised that we NEVER participate in the "second chance offer" program on eBay and that any such email is illegitimate and intended to defraud. Please forward any such emails received regarding any of our auctions with full headers to the Transaction Interception department of eBay's SafeHarbor office. In addition, both successful and unsuccessful bidders are cautioned to be exceptionally vigilant regarding "spoofed" emails, fraudulent PayPal invoices and other common scams. In response to frequent inquiries, please be advised that the terms engraving, lithograph, woodcut etc. as used in our auction descriptions denote a PRINT, i.e. an image printed on a sheet of paper, and that all such items are unconditionally guaranteed to be original and authentic - we never offer reproductions. Please see our glossary for definitions of terminology used in our auction descriptions. We conduct our business in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and are committed to complete customer satisfaction with every purchase. We encourage you to evaluate our eBay customer feedback as a convenient means of gauging our performance and reputation. "Some to beautify their halls, parlours and chambers... liketh, loveth, getteth, and useth maps, charts, and geographical globes" - John Dee (1527-1608)"...Maps begin as dreams, pass through a finite life in the world, and resume as dreams again..." - Thomas Pynchon
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Shipping and handling Item location: Indianapolis, IN, United States Shipping to: Worldwide
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
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