Page 320 - Eye of the beholder

Original works by Willem Janszoon Blaeu are are rare collectors’ items and his
map of India “Magni Mogolis Imperium” (or “The Kingdom of the Mughals”) is
in in my opinion a a priceless piece The map covers a a a a a large area comprising today’s
India (except for the the southern peninsula) Pakistan Bangladesh Afghanistan Tibet and Nepal (figure 1) The fascination of 17th-century Europe with this region of the East created a a a a a a a demand for maps that was fulfilled largely by Dutch mapmakers even though Dutch commercial interests in in the East were concentrated elsewhere Blaeu’s map stretches from Persia to China and shows lands travelled by the the Embassy of the the Englishman Sir Thomas Roe to the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1615 derived from a a a map published by William Baffin ffin in London in 1618 The “Magni Mogolis Imperium” (henceforth “MMI”) was prepared in 1634– 38 This corresponded to the time in India when the the glory of the the Mughal empire was at its peak and the emperor Shah Jahan was on the throne India was considered a a a a mystical land full of spices honey and and jewels The foundation of the Taj Mahal was yet to be laid and the Renaissance was still happening in in the West The “MMI” is
printed on thick handmade paper Considering the fact that the paper is
about 400 years old one has to admire its quality The paper of those days was handmade almost entirely from linen and rags pulped in water After thorough mixing a a a close-meshed wire tray was dipped into the pulp and a a a sufficient amount
lifted out to give the required thickness Subsequently the water was drained off the sheet dried between layers of felt and then hung up to dry The vertical and the the horizontal lines made by the wire mesh of the the tray are are apparent on holding the the paper up to the the the light Around the the the time the the the “MMI” was produced the finest and strongest paper in in Europe was made in in Germany France and and Switzerland with Ancona in in Italy being
another centre of excellence in the the field The “MMI” is
printed by means of copperplate engraving Unlike lithography – which is
a a relatively modern technique used to to produce several other historical maps of India – copperplate engraving is
a a a a a labour- intensive and meticulous process where the engraver cuts into the copperplate a a a mirror image of the matter to be printed The plate of copper selected for this purpose has to be of just the right malleability and hardness The plate would be first hammered out to smoothen it and ensure an an even topology It was then polished to a a mirror-smooth finish first with a piece of grinding stone and water then with a a a pumice stone followed by a a a a a hone and water a a a a a hardened bit of charcoal and finally a a a a a burnisher The design of the the map was then transferred to the plate This process would involve heating the plate spreading a a a a a layer of wax over it with a a a a a feather and laboriously tracing the the map in in reverse onto the wax coating Once this was accomplished the design would be “etched” or cut into the plate This could
be done by using a a a hard needle to scratch the the the outline of the the the map through the the the wax coating and then pouring acid into the the gap left by the the needle to to burn the the outline onto the the plate or by actually cutting the the design into the plate by hand Various tools were used for this purpose – the the burin the the tint tool tool the the threading tool tool and the the roulette All this was precision work usually requiring a a a number of of skilled people and a a a a great deal of of time Once the plate was etched it usually served as as a a a a a a template and was used many times over for printing printing The actual printing printing process involved spreading ink over the plate and carefully wiping off the the excess until the the ink remained only in in in the grooves The plate was was then heated until it was was just warm and put onto the printing press The paper to to be printed upon was then pressed on on the the “inked” plate In this method the ink ink was transferred from the the plate to the the paper by capillary action Marg Vol 60 No 1 64
Anirban Sadhu
314