Sanson’s Map of Ancient Sarmatia

Sarmatia utraque Europaea et Asiatica

This map shows parts of European Russia and Ukraine in antiquity. For Greco-Roman geographers and ethnographers, Sarmatia was in western Scythia, bordering the Roman Empire.

Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), founder of the Sanson dynasty of map-makers, is considered by many to be the father of the French school of cartography. He was a prolific and original map-maker, admired for the clarity and scientific accuracy of his maps.

Condition & Materials

Copper engraving, 41.5 x 47.5 cm, original hand-colour in outline, trivial spotting, blank verso.