The Lower Countries volume from Coronelli's 'Theatro della Guerra' series, including rare maps of Dutch possession in the Far East, including Asutralia, and Batavia (Jakarta).

A composite atlas of maps and views from Coronelli's intended series, 'Teatro della guerra, diviso in XXXXVIII. parti, in cui sono esattamente delineati... i regni, le provincie, le cittá, le fortezze... descritti fin l'anno 1700 i regni. le provincie, le città... dell' Europa, Asia, Africa, e dell'una, e l'altra America, in pianta, in veduta, o in elevazione, colle nuove loro fortificationi', representative of the countries which fought in the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713), and destined for the members of the 'Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti'. In the end, the work did not materialize, however, some parts were published, as here.

Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718) mainly lived and worked in Venice, but an opportunity arose to make his name when an early commission for two globes for the Duke of Parma brought him to the attention of the Cardinal d'Estrées, who summoned him to Paris to create two huge globes for Louis XIV. He was made royal cartographer to Louis XIV in 1681 as a result, and worked in Paris for two years. On his return to Venice, Coronelli was made cosmographer to the Republic, and granted a stipend of 400 florins a year.

In addition to globes and globe gores, he issued the 'Atlante Veneto' in 1691, which was intended to be an extension of Blaeu's atlas in three parts, covering hydrography and ancient and modern geography. One of the volumes was an isolario.

Coronelli also founded the world's oldest surviving geographical society, the Accademia degli Argonauti, named for Jason and the Argonauts, the adventurers who set out to find the golden fleece; their symbol was the globe surmounted by a ship in full sail. A list published in the 'Epitome cosmografica' in 1693 reveals that the society counted princes, ambassadors and cardinals amongst its members. They were to receive a minimum of six copper engravings a month, creating a guaranteed market for Coronelli's productions. Before his death, he had managed to produce six volumes of what he hoped would be a comprehensive encyclopedia, the 'Biblioteca universale sacro-profana'.

Due to their composite nature, and the fact that Coronelli's great project never came to fruition, all examples are rare on the market. Although parts of the work have appeared very occasionally at auction over the last 40 years, we are unaware of an example containing this many plates, and in its original binding.