The Majesty of Antique World Map Tapestries

We have always tried to make sense of the world around us and it is this drive to understand and document our environment has given rise to one of arts' least appreciated gems - antique maps and cartography. Although today we are used to maps as dry, functional things that we occasionally reach for when lost, it was only a few centuries ago that they commanded the attention and wonder normally reserved for great works of art. History of Cartography The earliest maps date back to ancient Greece and the works of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy from the 2nd century are still referred to now as superb examples of the rise of early cartography. Map making in Europe declined during the Medieval era as leading philosophers concentrated more on religion and spiritual matters th View the rest of this article