1606/1640’s. Willem Blaeu (Dutch, 1571-1638), world map. 17″ x 22″. Special carved Cassetta, with inlaid stones, including stained glass and jasper. In fumed quartersawn white oak.
The frame on my workbench. More process photos here….
Willem Blaeu was one of the greatest cartographers of the Dutch Golden Age—mapmaker to the Dutch East India Company and immortalized by the paintings of Vermeer. The plate for this world map, which is about 17″ x 22″, dates from 1606. According to the customer who sent it to us, this hand-colored impression is most likely from the 1640’s.
The face of the quartersawn white oak cassetta frame is 4-1/2″ wide, but the back sweeps out a bit further. The richly decorated map provided plenty of material for a frame that would celebrate its significance and beauty, and my customer and I had a blast designing the frame.
More on this piece, including process shots, here…
