Part of a Set of Ortelius' World and Four Continents in Exceedingly Fine Condition:   Asiae Nova Decriptio

Original copperplate printed map
Fine handcolor
374 x 488 mm
Map # W-109(3)
$  Sold (as part of a matching set of 5 maps)

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Geographically, Ortelius approached the preparation of this map, like all of his maps, in a thoroughly scientific manner.  He derived the data for this map on his own wall map of Asia of 1567 and on the work of Gastaldi (van den Broecke, p. 47).

This map is part of a matching set of the world and the four continent maps for Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.   The Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was the first atlas that produced a uniform series of maps of the world.  The publication of the Theatrum.Orbis Terrarum  can be considered the starting point for over 100 years of Dutch supremacy in the production of beautiful maps and atlases. 

To read about and view the other maps in the set,  click the hyperlink on each of the following names  -   The World,  The Americas,  Africa,  Europe.

The set is from a later edition of the Theatrum with a possible date of 1592, 1595, 1601, 1603, or, less likely, 1609, or 1612, based on van den Broecke.  Text on verso is in Latin with a page no. "3".  (van den Broecke, p. 47).

There were two different copperplates of this map of Asia:  one from 1570 and a second plate from 1575.  This map is from the second plate of 1575 (the two plates are quite similar with a few changes.  One is the "La Farfana" in upper right of the map has a lower case "farfana" in the second plate).

(Van den Broecke,  map # 7).

Very Fine Condition.  It will be extremely difficult to find a set of Ortelius world and continent maps in as fine a condition.   Wide margins.  Clean, bright map image.   All five maps of the set have similar minor professional patches in corner bottom margins.