Striking early map of Australia, with large decorative title cartouche.

Cassini's map of Australia is by far the most decorative map of Australia to appear in a commercially published atlas. Following Cook's landmark discovery of Australia's east coast in 1770, mapmakers around the world were quick to incorporate those discoveries onto their maps. Cassini's map of Australia, is only the third such map (following the very rare 1779 pocket atlas map by de Baillou and Eden's rare 1787 map). The map shows the discoveries made by Cook on the east coast of Australia, using Italian nomenclature for the titles. The map features at the top left, a decorative vignette with natives and a ship. Australia is named Nuova Olanda and New Guinea is named 'Nuova Guinea, O Terra de Pappagalli' - land of parrots.

A fine example of perhaps the single most decorative of all early maps of Australia.