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Among the greatest decorative works of early cartography is a series of arresting maps showing The Netherlands and Belgium in the shape of a lion.
The various versions of these so-called Leo Belgicus maps are all exceedingly rare, only a few examples surviving and in some cases only a solitary specimen has been located.
This particular example by Allardt is one of the most decorative. The use of the shape of a lion in the depiction of the two countries arose in part from the fact that their actual shape is vaguely leonine. This commanding image was an apt symbol for a nation on the verge of unprecedented wealth and power.
Secondly, the lion had long figured in the national iconography of the area: most of the coats-of-arms of the 17 provinces of the countries feature a lion. Also, the map was a statement of unity, since at the time the 17 provinces comprised a single nation, although under the yoke of Spanish domination. Its rich ornamentation includes three couples along the bottom in the characteristic dress of the regions of Friesland, Holland and Belgium.
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