Lilliput & Blefuscu by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver's Travels. Indian Ocean 1751 map
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Lilliput and Blefuscu [Sumatra & Tasmania - Gulliver's Travels]
One of the first fantasy maps ever published, of Lilliput and Blefuscu, two fictional island nations that appear in the first part of the 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Both are inhabited by tiny people who are about one-twelfth the height of ordinary human beings. Swift’s map places these fictional island nations in the South Indian Ocean, south west of Sumatra and north west of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania). The islands’ location is described both in the text and on a map, though neither matches real-world locations. The latitude is given as 30°2'S, but the longitude is omitted. The map positions Tasmania south of the Sunda Strait, ignoring its well-documented location, and that of New Holland (Australia), of Swift’s time; relative to Tasmania, the island would be located in central Australia. Scholars suggest the unlikely geography satirises unreliable travel literature of the era, possibly hinting at a Pacific Ocean location for Lilliput. The map is unattributed, though Swift was known to be on friendly terms with the cartographer Herman Moll, who is mentioned in the book as "my worthy friend". The maps were only included in the early editions of the book.
Size 17 x 9 cm | 6.5 x 3.5 inches
Date Published: 1751
Type: Antique copperplate fantasy parody map
Author: Swift, Jonathan
Publication: Gulliver's Travels
Condition: Good |
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