An illustration in the style of the Catalan Atlas showing an African king on a golden throne, holding a glowing piece of gold. He wears a crown and blue patterned robes, with a scepter beside him. A map is in the background.

From the Catalan Atlas created in 1375, a handmade drawing on parchment of an African king, clad in luxurious fabrics and holding a large piece of gold is depicted. He wears a large gold crown on his head and holds a short kingly scepter, topped with an intricate, golden, flower-like sculpture. This king sits dignified, cross-legged on his golden throne with his head held high and turned to the right. The purpose of this image is to portray the region of Africa as a land of commerce and prosperity to other Europeans, with economic powerhouse Mansa Musa on his famous hajj as its representative. European traders and merchants would use this map to navigate their way to Africa, where a large amount of trading and frequent cultural exchanges took place. See more