Terrestrial floor globe, detail of Cartouche, c.1650 (papier mache, plaster, copper-engraved, ink, varnish, brass, wood,...

Creator: Willem Jansz Blaeu This terrestrial floor globe forms a pair with the celestial globe by Blaeu, (see image number D8003_1, object number GLB0105). Geographical details on the sphere include loxodromes for thirty-two compass points. The Strait of le Maire is drawn, and California is shown as an island by the use of overlay gores. The Dutch discoveries of parts of the coast of Australia and New Zealand are recorded. The Great Wall of China is depicted with an almost illegible comment. The hypothetical southern continent is labelled. There are decorative animals, cannibals, ships and monsters, and a note on finding the longitude, inside a cartouche decorated with two figures, one with a cross staff and the other with a quadrant. There is a note on the history of exploration in North America inside a cartouche with eskimos in a kayak on the top and Indians at the sides. At the bottom is a bear's head with foxes and beavers. There are further notes on discoveries and circumnavigation and a total of ten oceans are named.