KOBEICA BLOG
Vintage Map Reproductions – Beauty on Your Wall
To me, autumn is the most inspirational season. The light and the colours everywhere…
This year the autumn atmosphere made me come back to the beloved hobby I have: lampshade making.
Here are another two pieces I made, inspired by nature again.
Which one do you like more?
Antique map of the Isle of Wight and the adjoining area of what are today the counties of Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex, 1693.
The Isle of Wight is the largest English island and is located a few kilometres off the coast of Hampshire. Many notable people have spent their time on the island. These include Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who built their summer residence there and the actor Jeremy Irons who was born there. Another famous resident of the island is the scientist, surveyor and architect Robert Hooke (1635–1703). It is difficult to pick out the most important achievement of Mr. Hooke. He greatly contributed to many scientific disciplines such as palaeontology, horology, astronomy, microscopy and physics. Hooke’s law still has its solid place within mechanics. He was also a notable surveyor and architect. During his studies at Oxford, he became the life-long friend of Sir Christopher Wren and became his chief assistant after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Among other achievements, he participated in the design of some of London’s icons, such as the Royal Greenwich Observatory and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Without a doubt, he was a maverick and engaged in many disputes with other scientists, including a well-known dispute with Sir Isaac Newton, on their achievements in the field of gravitation. As a native of the Isle of Wight, he is one of the most important figures in the island’s history. The Robert Hooke Society has been established to raise awareness and appreciation of the life and achievements of this great scientist. Lisa Jardine’s “The Curious Life of Robert Hooke: The Man Who Measured London” provides a fascinating biography of this notable man.
Map of the Mediterranean Sea and the adjoining areas in the second half of the 17th century.
The dominant power in the Mediterranean Region in the second half of the 17th century was the Ottoman Empire. By then, it had controlled almost the whole coastline of the Balkan Peninsula (together with the Republic of Radusa, its vassal state), the whole of Asia Minor and a major part of the North-African coast, from today’s Algeria eastwards. Cyprus was also seized and Crete was actually being conquered at the time this map was printed. The remaining western parts of the coastline were controlled by Spain, France, the Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Sicily and several other states in the area of today’s Italy. These were all natural rivals of the Ottoman Empire. Numerous battles raged between the Turks (and the Barbary Pirates) and their European rivals in the Mediterranean Sea in the second half of the 17th century. In 1665, one such battle took place near the coast of Tunisia. The Barbary pirates’ fleet was defeated in this battle by the French nobleman Duc de Beaufort and his ships. Duc de Beaufort is a fascinating figure from French history. As a grandson of the French King Henry IV, he served in the army during the Thirty Years’ War and took part in an unsuccessful plot against Cardinal Richelieu, which resulted in his exile in England. Upon his return to France, he was imprisoned for engaging in another conspiracy. He later escaped from prison and was appointed as the chief of the French Navy’. In addition to the victory over the Barbary Pirates in 1665, he waged various other battles in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1660s. He was killed during the Siege of Candia in 1669.
In our February focus, we present antique World maps in our catalogue:
Australia and Antarctica were not yet fully explored at the time this map was first printed and are shown here as “Terra Incognita” and “Unknown land”. The illustrations in the corners in the map represent the four elements: water, earth, air and fire.
Beautiful World Map with rich illustrations.
The heavens with a description of various geophysical and climatic phenomena are depicted on this map.
Five climatic zones (two cold, two mild and one warm around the equator) are shown. The main maritime routes are also marked. In the first half of the 18th century, exploration of Australia was still underway and it was believed that it was a part of Terra Incognita, a land located in what is now Antarctica. This map is accompanied by a list of selected countries in America, Africa, Europe and Asia and their capital cities are listed. Furthermore, the most frequent geographical terms are defined.
Various solar system ideas are depicted on this World map.
The World is shown in several projections.
This French map of the world from 1786 depicts all three recent voyages of Captain James Cook and his crew.
The set consists of:
Map of the South Pole and the surrounding regions of South America, New Zealand and Tasmania, 1803.The continent of Antarctica had not yet been confirmed in 1803; the first documented landing on Antarctica took place in 1821.
Map of the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding regions of Europe, Asia and America, 1803.
Map of the Pacific Ocean and the North-West of America, 1803.
Map of Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Australia, 1803. The coastline of Australia had not been fully explored and mapped in 1803. The first complete chart of the Australian coastline was mapped by Matthew Flinders in 1810.
Have a look at our selection of antique map reproductions of Ireland. The map of the Emerald Isle is a real symbol indeed. And it looks lovely when printed on a handmade paper!
The theme of this map is the Plantations in Ireland in 16th century.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
This map shows the Emerald Isle during the times of the Jacobite wars.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
This vintage map shows Ireland during the Great Famine that had disastrous consequences for the island.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
Map of the Ireland with the four Irish provinces depicted. There are legends that give each of them a character!
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
The Great Famine Aftermath is the theme of this old map.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
With this antique map, we cover the history of Irish railways network.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.
All vintage maps from our catalogue available for a print on a handmade paper is be now displayed on one single Pinterest wall🙂
Pinterest collection of antique map art
Image Source: miss_rogue, Flickr
After months of preparation, today is Kobeica launch day! There are dozens of wonderful handmade paper sheets in three sizes waiting to be matched with some lovely vintage maps. It is a big day for me as I can finally start sharing my love of geography, maps, history, and for topophilia, a concept that stands for the love of a place; either instant amazement by a stunning unknown landscape or a long-term love of a place that we call our home.)
I run this e-store solely based on my enthusiasm and interest in maps and history. I decided to gradually build my business, so what you now see is just the beginning. However, step by step I will be adding new maps to the catalogue, as well as new options for map reproductions (print on canvas, mounting and framing services), which will be among the first to be implemented into the Kobeica e-store. Stay tuned!
It has been a long time since I started dreaming about combining two passions of mine: ancient maps and home decor. I have a MSc. degree in geography, so maps have always been a part of my life. Cartography was the part of my studies I enjoyed most. When taking a closer look, ancient maps can tell fascinating stories from human history, stories of wars, love, courage and curiosity. Moreover, I believe, old maps are also works of art. The aim of my e-store is to re-tell fascinating stories through these beauties. Old maps on handmade paper can create an authentic wall decoration in homes, a themed restaurant or bar, a neat and cosy hotel room or an office for a sophisticated professional.
