De Bello Belgico Decades Duae

This famous map is an example of the 'Leo Belgicus', or Belgian Lion, a form of propaganda mapping designed to celebrate Dutch victories over their Spanish overlords during the Eighty Years' War. The lion had long been the symbol of the Netherlands (as it remains to this day), so maps depicting the country as a roaring lion, ready to strike, became icons of Dutch strength, courage, and martial ability in their fight for independence from the Spanish.

This particular Leo Belgicus map was published as the frontispiece to Famiano Strada's De bello Belgico, a history of the first thirty years of the Eighty Years' War. It was published in two volumes, the first of which focused on the period 1559-1579, while the second volume covered the decade 1579-1589.

Coloured. [Framed]