www.Sail-Search.com: Got a spare $850 000.00 burning a hole in your pocket?

Need four large wall-maps representing the four continents: America on 12 sheets; Africa on 8 sheets; Asia on 8 sheets; Europe on 12 Sheets to display above the chart table on your mega sailing yacht?

The Graham Arader Gallery in New York has a set of wall maps by the greatest Italian ancient Cartographer, Giacomo Castaldi (1500 to 1556) for sale at the knock down price of $850 000.00.

The four large-scale maps by Gastaldi are unique and remain unrivaled by any set of wall maps available today in terms of quality and importance. The maps saw a development through three different states as successive publishers added the latest information to them.

State one, dating from ca. 1569, is thought to have been published by Giovanni Francesco Camocio. In approximately 1588, Donato Bertelli also published the plates, with some changes to the map of America in order to correct errors made by Gastaldi's assistants after his death (such errors mostly had to do with the assembly of the printed sheets).

The second state of Gastaldi's maps appeared circa 1655, now enlarged with additional copperplate sheets. This edition was published by Stefano Scolari, who made minor nomenclature additions. On the New World map the title "America" was added, as were the names "California," "Nova Granada" and "Estotiland." Scolari was also responsible for another printing of Gastaldi's maps approximately seven years later, circa 1662.

For this third state, the publisher once again updated the maps and included the new names of "Stretto D'Anian," "Nova Albion," "Novo Amsterdan" and "Stretum Davis." The south coast of Greenland was also added and Tierra del Fuego was shown as an island. Gastaldi's maps not only represented the most accurate information available but are also remarkable for their exquisite engraving. Each was produced on eight or twelve separate sheets that were then joined, creating a single cohesive map with extensive written annotations and decorative elements, including fleets of sailing ships.

Most maps created during this period were printed on one or two sheets. A very limited number of large wall maps, involving numerous plates to print a certain area, were produced by major cartographic houses. Those few that were produced were ostensibly used for ostentatious public display, and the surviving number is exceedingly scarce. These wall maps were mounted on canvas and exposed to light, dirt and other environmental factors.

That not only one individual wall map, but indeed an entire set of four, has survived from this period is partially due to the constant esteem in which they (and their author) have been held since the time of their production, and partly due to sheer good fortune. Indeed, the number of wall maps by Gastaldi still in existence is extremely small.

Wall Map by Giacomo Gastaldi

More Maps by Giacomo Gastaldi

By the way, Shipping within the US will only cost you $3.00 - go figure, surely they could chuck shipping in for NOTHING!

If $850 000.00 is a little bit too rich for you then try this list of Rare and Second Hand Sailing Books starting from only $1.00 each.