Kaart van Polynesië en de Grote Oceaan met een deel van Noord-Amerika 1869

This is Carl Stier's map of Polynesia and the Pacific Ocean, including a part of North America. It depicts the world as it was known then, showcasing the islands dotting the vast ocean, each an isolated fragment within a larger, interconnected world. The map is a symbol of man's attempt to grasp the immensity of the unknown, a mirror reflecting the aspirations and limitations of human knowledge. Cartography itself is an ancient act, laden with symbolic weight. Think of Ptolemy's world map, a cornerstone of geographical knowledge for centuries, or the medieval mappa mundi, blending geographical fact with religious allegory. Maps are not mere representations; they are cultural artifacts, imbued with the values and worldview of their creators. The act of mapping is an assertion of control, a way to impose order on the chaos of the unknown. Yet, every map is also an admission of ignorance, a boundary beyond which lies the uncharted, the mysterious. It invites us to reflect on how we perceive and interact with the world around us, always incomplete and evolving.