Africa

This allegorical frontispiece comes from Olfert Dapper’s Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche gewesten van Egypten, Barbaryen, Libyen, Biledulgerid..., from the 1676 printing. It presents a symbolic vision of the African continent. The image is rich with representations of Africa’s diverse peoples, wildlife, and landscapes. Figures in regional dress appear alongside unusual animals and notable architectural elements, including a group of Nubian pyramids. Together, these details were intended to convey the continent’s richness, antiquity, and cultural variety as imagined by 17th-century audiences.