Les Estats du Czar de la Russie Blache ou Grand Duc De Moscovie

This gorgeous antique map captures the Tsardom of Russia as it was developing into a continent-spanning empire during the late 17th century. Striking hand color distinguishes the borders of different duchies and principalities that were organized in the territory between the border with Europe (notably, Poland-Lithuania and the Kingdom of Sweden) and the Yenisei River.

Toponyms identify a fascinating variety of geographic features, ethnic groups, and settlements. A dollop of red paint highlights critical urban centers, including the commercial entrepôt of Astrakan, the capital of Moscow, Russia’s only deepwater port at Arkhangelsk, and the western frontier city of Novgorod. Noted with smaller text but carrying immense historical interest is the ‘Key to Moscow’ (Smolensk), the mythical frontier fort of Serponow (a mis-transliteration of a river bend), and the border fortress of Pleskow. Though heavily stylized, mountains are depicted pictorially and note the Urals as the border between Siberia and the European possessions.

The map was originally created by Alexis-Hubert Jaillot, a royal French geographer and tutor to the Duke of Burgundy (grandson of Louis XIV). An enterprising publisher, Pierre Mortier, recognized the potential commercial success of Jaillot’s gorgeous Atlas Nouveau, so he reissued the work in Amsterdam around 1695, synthesizing high-end Dutch publication methods and the best of late 17th-century French cartography. Recognizing that Jaillot’s name (and that of his predecessor, Nicholas Sanson) would add authority to the work, Mortier offered appropriate credit to both in the title cartouches.