Asiae Nova Descriptio
Asiae Nova Descriptio
ORTELIUS, Abraham

Asiae Nova Descriptio

[Antverp]
[Christophe Plantin]
1570 [but 1587]
Size : 54 x 44,5 cm
Color : Coloris original
Condition : Bon
Technique : Copper engraving
Reference : 513-2
$1,301

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Description

Striking map of Asia by Abraham Ortelius in a beautiful period color.

The map is decorated with an elegant cartouche and extends from West Africa to Japan and New Guinea. It represents the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, China, India, Russia and Southeast Asia.

The map appears in the 1587 edition of Abraham Ortelius' Theatrum, of which only 250 copies were printed. Some restorations.

ORTELIUS, Abraham

Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was a Renaissance cartographer and geographer, considered to be one of the founders of modern cartography. He was born in 1527 in Antwerp, then part of the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium). Ortelius began his career as a map colourist, buying maps and colouring them before selling them on. His early interest in cartography soon developed into a passion for scientific geography.

During his travels, particularly in the company of renowned geographers such as Gerard Mercator, Ortelius acquired an in-depth knowledge of geography. It was thanks to these travels and his encounters with other scholars that he was inspired to create his most famous work, the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum".

Ortelius published his first major work, a world map in eight sheets, in 1564. He continued to produce various maps, including one of Egypt in 1565, a plan of Brittenburg Castle on the coast of the Netherlands, and a map of Asia, before publishing his masterpiece in 1570.

Ortelius' "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" is considered to be the first true modern atlas. In its first edition of 1570, it contained 53 maps, but was rapidly expanded with each successive edition. This revolutionary atlas harmonised the formats and styles of maps available at the time, while retaining the names of the maps' original authors. Ortelius also created a catalogue of map authors, updated from edition to edition, to recognise the contributions of numerous geographers.

The success of the "Theatrum" greatly contributed to the spread of geographical culture in Europe at the end of the 16th century. After Ortelius's death in 1598, his atlas continued to be published and improved by other editors, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of cartography.