Sale 214 Lot 214

De Stadt van Lovango (The City of Loango), by Dutch scholar Olfert Dapper (1636–1689); circa 1668 Unframed. This historical engraving, titled De Stadt van Lovango (The City of Loango), was created by the Dutch scholar Olfert Dapper (1636–1689) and first published in Amsterdam in 1668 within his seminal work, Naukeurige Beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche Gewesten. The image depicts the capital of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Loango—a major regional power in present-day Republic of Congo—at its 17th-century peak. Although Dapper never visited Africa, he compiled his descriptions from a vast library of missionary and explorer reports; consequently, while the text was grounded in contemporary accounts, the illustrations were often "imagined" by the engraver, Jacob van Meurs, to align with European expectations of a grand metropolis. The engraving features a detailed key identifying various sectors of the city, ranging from the royal compound—including the King’s palace (Konincklyck hof), his wives' residence, and specialized structures for dining and wine—to public ritual spaces and watchtowers. In the foreground, the artwork illustrates religious divinities or "fetishes" being worshipped, while also hinting at a darker social reality by marking the road where criminals and those destined for the slave trade were led away. Ultimately, Dapper’s work served as the authoritative European source on Africa for over a century, and this widely copied view of Loango played a fundamental role in shaping the European consciousness regarding African urbanism. Image: 10.5 x 13.5 inches; sheet: 12.5 x 14.25 inches.
$250-350