[Scotland] Scotia Regnum: Janssonius, c.1646

• Title: Scotia Regnum
• Author: Jan Janssonius
• Date: c.1646
• Condition: Very Good - age related toning throughout. Minimal toning at centerfold and slight creasing from top to bottom on right of issued fold.
• Inches: 19 3/4 x 15 1/8 [Image] 
• Centimeters:  x  [Image] 
• Product ID: 308581

This map is an exemplar of Dutch Golden Age cartography, distinguished by its meticulous hand-colored embellishments. It comprehensively delineates the mainland and insular geography of Scotland, employing finely rendered coastal outlines, a dense network of rivers and lochs, and the careful positioning of principal towns and regions, each annotated with period nomenclature.

Of particular note is the inset at the upper right, which provides a detailed depiction of the Orkney Islands (Orcade Insulae), underscoring the cartographer’s intent to offer both breadth and precision in geographic coverage. Heraldic iconography is prominent: the Royal Arms of Scotland is sumptuously illustrated beside the map’s main body, and a grandly baroque title cartouche occupies the lower right, aligning the map’s design with the conventions of contemporary map publishing.

Background on Creator

Jan Janssonius (1588–1664) was a prominent Dutch cartographer and publisher active in Amsterdam during the seventeenth century. Born in Arnhem to a family of booksellers and publishers, Janssonius married Elisabeth Hondius, the daughter of renowned cartographer Jodocus Hondius, which allied him with one of the preeminent mapping dynasties of the era. He began publishing his own maps around 1616 and later formed a partnership with Henricus Hondius, his brother-in-law, expanding the influential Mercator-Hondius atlases.

Over the following decades, Janssonius was instrumental in developing and proliferating large multi-volume atlases—such as the "Atlas Novus" and later the "Atlas Major," produced in several languages and containing hundreds of maps. His mapping output rivaled that of his competitor Joan Blaeu, and his works contributed significantly to the Dutch Golden Age of cartography. Janssonius ran an extensive publishing and book-selling operation, with outlets across Europe. After his death in 1664, his imprint and many map plates continued to influence European cartography for decades.