The Coronelli cartographers of Venice were amongst the premier figures in the geographic sciences of the 17th & 18th Centuries. This is a top example of their exacting work, with a composite of explorers and cartographers work influencing the composition of this sea chart. Of note is the presence of California as an island from circa 1690, and Coronelli's cartouche of the cherub-looking merchildren holding the map's legend and the Armorial Shield of the Venetian City-State.