The Four Continents Paying Homage to Amsterdam The Four Continents Paying Homage to Amsterdam The four continents pay tribute to the city of Amsterdam. In the center, on the edge of the kogship, the Amsterdam city maiden is dressed in a Mercury hat. It has spread both arms, thus protecting the trade, symbolized by the four continents that offer their wares. She has her feet on the globe, beside which the IJ and Amstel river gods lie leaning against their vases, from which water flows with some fish, the two streams flow together. the IJ, wrapped in a fishing net and with a so-called ship's crown, sits on a dolphin and an anchor, the Amstel with a crown of rushes has two oars and a hook on it, an otter crawls between him and the vase. Against the globe an astrolabe, a Jacob's staff and a compass. To the left of this middle group is Europe, on the head the imperial crown and in both hands the horn of abundance. She is surrounded by horses and cattle, driven by a man with a club. To the left of her Africa, a black woman with a large sun hat, leading a lion to the mane, an elephant lays its trunk over its body. Africa is accompanied by a black boy with parrot and one with a salamander. Two snakes wind around her left leg, one biting the other in the head. Behind this group two men (one with a lever) haul merchandise that is packed in a bag, bale, crate and barrel, a third picks up one of the elephant stands on the floor.. On the far left, next to a bag is a grain sheaf. To the right of the city virgin Asia, a veiled woman with turban, with a crescent moon. She is standing next to a camel, which she is holding by the halter, while in her left hand she has a censer in which a boy blows. In front of her are two boys, one of whom carries a coffin, from which he lifts the lid and the other offers some tulips, in the background an ostrich a woman with a basket of fruits on her head, in the foreground a crocodile, ridden by a boy, holding a stick in the opened mouth of the ani

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