LONDON (REUTERS).- Rare cartographic gems mapping the world from 200 B.C. to the present go on display at the British Library in London. “Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art,” showcases some of the finest wall-maps in the British Library’s 4.5 million-strong collection, in an exhibition which encourages visitors to question the nature and purpose of maps. “It’s not about way-finding, it’s not about accuracy, it’s not about practical use,” exhibition curator Tom Harper told Reuters.” “It’s as much about the art as it is about the geography,” he explained. Prior to 1800, these maps would have hung beside paintings and sculpture on the walls of palaces and grand private homes. No expense was spared, with vast tapestries, large wooden globes and painting in gold leaf commissioned. The maps are organized according