Map of Hindoostan, Farther India, China and Tibet [Set of 2]

1850 (plate date); issued c. 1850s (each)

Steel engraving's with original hand-coloured outlines (each)

a) Print size: 11.22 x 13.78 in (28.5 x 35 cm)
Sheet size: 12.60 x 15.35 in (32 x 39 cm)

b) Print size: 11.22 x 13.78 in (28.5 x 35 cm)
Sheet size: 12.20 x 15.16 in (31 x 38.5 cm)

Map of Hindoostan, Farther India, China and Tibet— A Comparative Pair with Variant Decorative Borders

Both maps were printed from the same engraved geographic plate but display two distinct decorative border variants, indicating separate contemporary issues rather than a new cartographic state.

This matched pair of mid-nineteenth-century American atlas maps presents S. Augustus Mitchell’s authoritative depiction of Hindoostan and Farther India at a moment when the subcontinent was being systematically redefined through colonial administration, survey science, and global trade. Engraved in steel and entered for copyright in 1850, the map synthesises British East India Company territorial divisions, emerging political boundaries, and expanding geographic knowledge across South and Southeast Asia, extending eastward into China and Tibet.

Although identical in their engraved cartographic content, the two examples differ in their ornamental borders. One retains a denser foliate frame characteristic of Mitchell’s earlier 1850 decorative style, while the other exhibits a lighter, more open arabesque surround. Such variations are typical of Mitchell’s atlas production practice, in which geographic plates were reused across multiple issues while border designs were periodically refreshed. The presence of both variants together offers a rare opportunity to examine American atlas publishing strategies in the decades before chromolithography became dominant.

Cartographically, the map reflects the growing confidence of American commercial cartography in presenting Asia as an integrated geopolitical space. India is shown not in isolation but as part of a wider Asian continuum linking the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and inland China. Mitchell’s clarity of engraving, legible typography, and restrained colouring underscore his role as the foremost American map publisher of the period. Offered as a comparative pair, these maps possess both scholarly and visual appeal, illustrating how a single authoritative plate could circulate in subtly differentiated forms.

(Set of two)

NON-EXPORTABLE

This lot is offered at RESERVE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each lot.