Framed Africa Map Art
Africa was once called the “Dark Continent” by European explorers and slavers when there was the height of European colonization. It was called as such because much of it was unknown. Maps were drawn to help these commercial ventures find their way on such a huge continent. We will look at framed maps of Africa in their historical context.
“Africa, 1800” by Unknown is a framed African map which no doubt was useful to sailors going to the so-called Dark Continent. You see many familiar names, like Ethiopia, Syria, and others. Unlike today the nations are not clearly defined, though they were inhabited by the then-tribal peoples. In the corner is a small picture depicting what an explorer would see, like palm trees, crocodiles, and African castles.
The framed cartography of Africa map by Deborah Bookman, “Crackled Map of Africa,” is slightly different from the former. It has the nations listed, but there are three colored divisions, which makes one wonder, why the divisions? Who is claiming these places? The boat in the corner appears to be a naval ship of the 1700's. This was probably used by naval forces at its time of publish.
The next framed African map, “Nautical Map of Africa” by Anonymous, is a bit more fancy than the others. Judging by the boats in its four corners, it probably dates back to the 1700's. It has fewer nations. Its standout is the Sahara Desert, which Europeans were still learning to conquer.