Illyricum Hodiernum - Joan Blaeu & Ivan Lucic, 1668. (Antique Map In Color)
This map gives you a classic 17th century view of Croatia in color. The Dalmatian coastline, islands and inland rivers sit on a warm parchment style background. Coats of arms and Latin text panels make it feel like a real page from an old atlas, and it fits well next to books, wood and brass in a study or living room.
About this map print
This print is based on Illyricum Hodiernum, first printed in Amsterdam in 1668. Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu engraved the map using research and local knowledge from Croatian historian Ivan Lucic (Johannes Lucius) for his work on the Kingdom of Dalmatia and Croatia.
The map is often described as the first full map of Croatian historical lands. It brings Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia and Bosnia together on one map and fills them with towns, rivers and mountain ranges, so you see how these regions connect to each other.
Around the central map you can see coats of arms for Bosnia, Dalmatia, Slavonia and Croatia, along with other heraldic shields. One of the side panels is a Latin dedication to Croatian ban Petar Zrinski, which ties the map directly to 17th century Croatian politics and gives it a personal, local feel.
The rich frame, clear lettering and careful color put this sheet in the same family as other big Dutch Golden Age maps, like Visscher’s Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis, but here the focus stays firmly on Croatia and its neighbors rather than the whole world.
Craft & finish
This antique map print is made on hand processed paper, finished with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface has a gentle sheen when it catches the light, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
Find more prints like this in our Antique Maps collection.
Illyricum Hodiernum (Joan Blaeu & Ivan Lucic, 1668.) - Antique Map of Croatia
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box.Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage:
https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
