Historic Map : Clement Cruttwell Map of Asia , 1799, Vintage Wall Art

A fine 1799 map of Asia by the English map publisher Clement Cruttwell. Cruttwell's map covers the entire continent from Turkey to Japan and from the Arctic to the East Indies. Our survey of this remarkable continental map begins in the northern regions, which exhibit a primitive yet ephemeral understanding of Arctic geography particularly in Siberia and the extreme northeast where traces of Tschirikow and Vitus Bering's explorations are in evidence. The map centers on the vast stretch of land between the Sea of Korea and Kamchatka and the Caspian Sea, known for most of the 18th century as Tartary. This area was once part of the vast Mongol Empire consolidated under Genghis Khan around 1206 AD. Although the empire of the Great Khan had long since disintegrated into constituent states by the time this map was made, this little known and largely inaccessible region held a special fascination for western Europeans who were reared on legends of the dreaded Mongols or Tartars and their leader, the terrifying Scourge of God. Consequently, much of the geography of Central Asia represented here references these early conquests. Genghis Khan's largly abondoned capital at Kara Koram is noted, as are the silk route trading centers of Samarkand, Bokara, and Kashgar (Cashgar). The entire subcontinent is here shown to be attached to the vast Mogol Empire, which ruled from Delhi. This curiosity suggests that Cruttwell referenced outdated sources, for by the late 18th century the British had conquered most of the region. Outline color and fine copper plate engraving in the minimalist English style prevalent in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Mountains and topographical other detail shown by profile. Drawn by G. G. and J. Robinson of Paternoster Row, London, for Clement Cruttwell's 1799 Atlas to Cruttwell's Gazetteer.