Historic Virginia & Chesapeake Bay Map by Willem Blaeu 1635 (custom framed, gold-leaf)

Willem Blaeu’s historic, original 1635 Nova Virginiae Tabula is one of the most important and influential early maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. Based upon Captain John Smith’s landmark 1612 mapping, it extends from Cape Henry north to the Susquehanna River and west to the Appalachian Mountains, with the Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries rendered in remarkable detail. The map is particularly celebrated for its elaborate decoration, including the arms of James I, a figure of a Susquehannock Native American, and the striking scene of Chief Powhatan seated in his longhouse. It also preserves fascinating early geographic speculation, including a mysterious western body of water derived from Native American reports and interpreted by Europeans as a possible route toward the Pacific. Published by Willem Blaeu in Amsterdam in 1635, this example represents the second state, derivative 1, issued from the plate originally engraved by Jodocus Hondius in 1618. Blaeu’s atlases are renowned for their exceptional engraving, paper, and hand coloring and represent the height of the Dutch Golden Age of cartography. Conservation custom framed with a linen mat, delicate gold accents, and an elegant gold-leaf frame selected to complement the map’s 17th-century character. Framed Dimensions: 30" x 26.25"