Suecia Regnum

Blaeu’s marvelous depiction of the Kingdom of Sweden near the height of its political power.

This magnificent copperplate engraved map captures the breadth of Sweden’s European influence during the height of the Swedish Empire (Stormaktstiden). Following victory in the Thirty Years’ War, the Scandinavian kingdom was propelled into Great Power status; a position solidified by the defeat of Poland-Lithuania in the Northern War of 1655–1660. The finely detailed image outlines the expanding boundaries of the empire, stretching from Livonia to Scania and effectively turning the Baltic Sea into a ‘Swedish Lake.’

The map utilizes pictorial topography to provide a tactile sense of the rugged northern terrain, with a variety of geographic features, political regions, and settlements labeled throughout. Of particular interest are the small icons in Lapland depicting lavvu (teepees) and a njalla (elevated storehouse), which provide a rare 17th-century glimpse into the habitation of the indigenous Sami people. This attractive work is enriched by several decorative elements, including a beautiful title cartouche crediting Anders Bure, the ‘Father of Swedish Cartography’, as the original source. A second cartouche in the upper right offers a prestigious dedication to King Charles X Gustav by Joan Blaeu. This example was published in a French edition of the Atlas Maior (Le Grand Atlas) in either 1663 or 1667.