Bentleys.co.za
Title
Antique Map Reproductions at Bentleys
Description
About Our Maps
All our maps are produced in Italy using materials and techniques that date back to the 17th century. The engraved maps are printed using the xylographic process which is one of the oldest forms of graphic art. The copper plates are engraved with great skill and precision and printing is accomplished with a manual press, each map is therefore an original which differs from the others in small but important ways.
The paper used is made from pure cotton which has a fibre that ensures that the dimensions are not changed by the press and a softness that papers made of cellulose cannot attain. In order to recreate the atmosphere evoked by works of art of the past, each sheet of paper is aged using strictly organic substances. This ageing process also helps in differentiating one engraving from another since the finish is not and cannot be alike and uniform.
The printed panels are then mounted ‘at intervals’ on a support (also made from 100% cotton) as was the practice during the 17th and 18th centuries. Since the map could be folded, it was easier to handle and preserve and, of course, less voluminous. The support is aged in the same fashion as the paper.
Languages
English
