This map was published in the 1633 edition of the 'Mercator-Hondius 

'. Four states are known of the map. The first is dated 1630; the second has 'Amstelodami Execudit Ioannes Ianssonius' added along the bottom edge; after which the map was included in Van Loon’s sea atlas of 1663, and Jansson’s '

The two hemispheres on this map are surrounded by a complex border combining astronomical and earthly cycles in order to link the Earth in the centre to wider ideas of balance within the cosmos. The Sun and Moon are in the cusps between the hemispheres. At the bottom is a representation of the continents of Africa, India, and the Americas, offering tribute to the enthroned Europe. At the top, there is a celestial globe garlanded with fruits and flowers.

Portraits of Julius Caesar, Claudius Ptolemy, Jodocus Hondius, and 

 are featured in each corner. Next to the portraits are personifications of the four elements shown as classical deities, along with animals at home in those elements. Fire is represented by Apollo driving a sun chariot, holding a phoenix and accompanied by a salamander and a dragon. Air is represented by Selene, surrounded by a pair of cranes and an eagle, and holding a chameleon, which was thought to live on air. Earth is represented by Demeter holding a cornucopia, with the exotic accompaniment of an elephant, camel, and lion. Water is shown by Poseidon (or a river god) with a sea serpent and a whale.

Geographically, the depiction of the Americas is notable: California is shown as an island, and the western coast (labelled ‘Nova Albion’) is extended off the edge of the map. However, it is not shown joining Asia in the right hemisphere, suggesting the possibility of a strait between them. There is a note on the left hemisphere recording that the Americas were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and named for Amerigo Vespucci in 1499. The 'discoveries' of Ferdinand Magellan and Jacob Le Maire have both been incorporated into the depiction of South America.

In Asia, Korea is correctly shown as an isthmus. Below, a vague outline is given for 'Terra Australis', the legendary southern continent, which is also shown joining the bottom of South America.

Double-page engraved copperplate double-hemisphere map of the world, with contemporary hand-colour in full.

A superb example of the lavishly decorated new Mercator-Hondius world map, created to compete with the rise of the House of Blaeu. The two hemispheres of the map are surrounded by a complex border combining astronomical and earthly cycles in order to link the Earth in the centre to wider ideas of balance within the cosmos. The Sun and Moon are in the cusps between the hemispheres. At the bottom is a representation of the continents of Africa, India, and the Americas, offering tribute to the enthroned Europe. At the top, there is a celestial globe garlanded with fruits and flowers. 

Jodocus Hondius obtained the original copperplates of 

's atlases in Leiden at the auction of Mercator's library in 1602. After Hondius's death, his family continued to issue Mercator's original world map, unchanged until the 1630s, despite increasing damage to the copper plate. In 1629, Henricus Hondius (Jodocus Hondius's son) and his brother-in-law and business partner, 

, revised the 'Gerardi Mercatoris Et I. Hondii 

'), from which this map derives. It was published amidst competition from 

. The new Hondius-Janssonius world map, as here, then had as long a life as its predecessor and was included in all subsequent issues of the '

A superb example of the lavishly decorated new Mercator-Hondius world map, created to compete with the rise of the House of Blaeu.

Hondius’ World Map