Colossus Monarchic 9 Statua Danielis Dan. II. 31.

SOLD AS A SET OF FOUR.

One from the set of four famous cartographic curiosities by Seutter.

The series of impressive copper engravings intended to serve as a serious instructional aid by illustrating geographical terms.

The titles, which appears in Latin in the decorative cartouches at bottom left and in German across the top, outside the frame, roughly translates as:

Map in which all natural, political and technical terms or words are named and represented in one concept and sight by the engraved copper print, as they may always be met with on geographical maps, published for the use of studious youth by Matthaus Seutter … in Augsburg.

The figure of Colossus, with sword and scepter, represents Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Dan. 2:39-40). History’s great empires are engraved on the breastplate; Oriental empires on the left leg, Western ones listed on the right.  

Seutter with an eye to an even wider commercial market, adds 14 selected terms translated into French and seven into Italian. The ‘Signorum Explicatio’ (or conventional signs) in the bottom-right panel illustrates 40 symbols with their interpretation in German and Latin. Demonstrating His Imperial Majesty Charles VI’s access to his land’s natural resources, there are symbols for (wind-)mills, (gun-)powder mills and paper mills gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and general metalliferous mines health spas and fountains and vineyards.