Portolan Chart
ポルトラーノ海図 / 13th–17th century / Style / Diagrammatic Expression
The medieval working sea chart crossed by radiating rhumb lines: coastlines and place names in precise sequence on vellum, flags and monsters in the margins — cartography before use and ornament divided.
Radiating rhumb lines / Names perpendicular to coasts / The vellum ground / Flags and monsters as ornament
Dictionary entry
- Best used for
- Comparing primary sources and canonical works · Extracting principles that transfer to other media
- Type
- Observe the letters, signs and scale of reference works
- Composition
- Extract the one structure that governs gaze and information
- Material
- Verify the materials and behaviors specific to era, region and process
- Caution
- Don't reduce it to surface signs. Verify the context of era, region, technology and makers.
- Further study
- the Catalan Atlas lineage / the structure of rhumb lines / charts as state secrets