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C1778
Arabia According to its Modern Divisions. By Samue…
Mapmaker:
Rare c.18th hand coloured engraved map of the Arabian Peninsula by Samuel Dunn (1732-1794). The map presents the Arabian Peninsula with a clear delineation of its regional divisions, offering a synthesis of contemporary European understanding of a region that remained … Read Full Description
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Details
Full Title:
Arabia According to its Modern Divisions. By Samuel Dunn, Mathematician.
Date:
C1778
Mapmaker:
Condition:
In good condition, with centre fold as issued.
Technique:
Copper engraving with original hand colouring.
Image Size:
438mm
x 310mm
Paper Size:
476mm
x 467mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1778
Description:
Rare c.18th hand coloured engraved map of the Arabian Peninsula by Samuel Dunn (1732-1794).
The map presents the Arabian Peninsula with a clear delineation of its regional divisions, offering a synthesis of contemporary European understanding of a region that remained only partially explored by Western travellers. Coastal outlines are rendered with reasonable accuracy for the period, while the interior is structured through a network of place names, tribal regions, and routes derived from earlier sources and travellers’ accounts. The prominence given to divisions such as Yemen, Oman, and the Hedjaz reflects both political awareness and the importance of these areas in trade and pilgrimage.
Dunn’s engraving is restrained in its decorative elements, favouring legibility over ornament. This stylistic choice is consistent with the purpose of his atlas, which sought to present geography as a scientific discipline grounded in observation and calculation. The map also situates Arabia within its wider context, with neighbouring regions such as Persia, Abyssinia, and the Indian Ocean clearly identified, reinforcing its role within broader patterns of commerce and cultural exchange.
From: Dunn, S. A new atlas of the mundane system; or, of geography and cosmography: describing the heavens and the earth … the various empires, kingdoms, states, republics, and islands, throughout the known world …
References:
Phillips, P. A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress. Washington 1973 : 3516.
The British Museum. Catalogue of Printed Maps Charts and Plans Photolithographic Edition to 1964. (16 Volumes): Vol. 5 col. 204.
Collections:
New York Public Library: b13919861
State Library New South Wales: Record Identifier 74VK2vD4BPR3
National Library Australia: Bib ID: 1671478
Samuel Dunn (1732 - 1794)
English cartographer, mathematician and publisher of maps and atlases. He also taught astronomy and navigation at his premises in Chelsea. Little biographical information is available of Dunn other than his published works.
