Striking old coloured carte a figures map of Europe which was engraved by Jodocus Hondius and included in Mercator atlases by Jan Jansson during a short period in the 1630’s. The map is extensively decorated with small town plans of Lisbon, Toledo, London, Paris, Rome and Venice across the top and pairs of individuals from various parts of Europe in period dress. This map, which was engraved in 1623, initially had six additional town plans at the bottom. Due to its size, it did not fit easily into a folio atlas and the plate was altered by removing the bottom set of town plans. After alteration of the plate, the map was used in only a few atlases as, shortly thereafter, it was replaced by a more current, much less decorative version and, as a result, is rarely encountered. A description of Europe appears on the verso in German. The map is a beautifully coloured, strong dark impression in excellent condition. 41 cm x 55.5 cm