Abraham Ortelius – Antique & Rare Maps for Sale

Title: Asiae nova descriptio (Asia) map…….. Abraham Ortelius. Year: 1570 copper engraving. Dimensions: Leaf app.: 426 mm x 540 mm. Image 372mm x 782mm.

Condition. Good condition, the leaf is slightly stained, a tera in the lower margin out of the immage professionally restored, heavy laid watermarked paper (two crossed arrows), please see pictures.

Ortelius Asia Map

Ortelius Asia Map
Rare and beautiful copper engraving map of Ortelius representing Asia, Japan, Arabia, Indonesia and a part of New Guinea and Australia. From west to east, this map offers numerous elements worthy of further study. The Caspian Sea, according to the convention of the time, is presented on an east-west rather than north-south axis. Arabia is projected in a distended form. Further east in western China, Cayamay lacus is depicted. This mythical body of water was postulated by Ortelius to be the source great rivers of Southeast Asia. Indeed, Ortelius crisscrosses East Asia with a vast network of waterways advocating his belief that a water route existed through China to the North Sea and hence, via the Northeast Passage, to Europe. Still further east Japan appears in a distorted top heavy projection that resembles a tadpole. To the south Luzon is absent from the Philippine Islands. In the extreme southeast portion of the map Australia appears as “Terrae Incognitae Australis”. East of China, two sailing ships ply the waters of the Pacific In the lower left corner is a decorated cartouche.