Catalan Atlas (Majorcan world map)
Atlas catalán (mapamundi mallorquín)
- Date
- 1375 · confidence high
- Place
- Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Credited to
- Abraham Cresques and his son Jafuda, Jewish cartographic workshop of Majorca
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What it is
A world map on six painted vellum panels that combines Mediterranean portolan charting with information about Asia (Marco Polo) and Africa, where Mansa Musa of Mali appears holding a gold nugget. It is the masterpiece of the Majorcan school of cartography.
The work, a gift from Peter IV of Aragon to the French court (now in the National Library of France), is attributed to Abraham Cresques with the help of his son Jafuda, who converted and became known as Jaume Ribes; the identification of the latter with the “Master Jacome” of Majorca who worked for Portugal is debated.
What it led to
- the Majorcan school of cartography (Jaume Ribes, Mecià de Viladestes)
- collaboration of Majorcan cartographers in Portugal
- the image of Africa and Asia used until the great voyages of the 15th century