"Maris Pacifici, (quod vulgo Mar del Zur)", Ortelius, Abraham

Unquestionably this is one of Abraham Ortelius' most important maps. It is the first printed map devoted to the Pacific Ocean and the first to label the America separately as North and South subsequent to Mercator's 1538 world map. The map draws on the cartography of Frans Hogenberg, Mercator's world map of 1569, and Portuguese manuscript maps of Bartolomeo de Lasso. It widens the gap between Asia and North America while properly locating Japan and the Philippines. North America is depicted considerably narrower and more correctly at the Tropic of Cancer and the head of the Gulf of California is shown in a new form with the R. Grande being introduced for the first time. The large southern continent Terra Australis stretches over the bottom of the map, but the name Tierra del Fuego appears south of the Strait of Magellan. The map is adorned with two elaborate cartouches and Magellan’s surviving ship Victoria is pictured with two smaller ships. This is from the Latin edition of 1595.

References: Burden #74; Cohen (West) pp. 31-33; Goss (NA) #14; Wheat (TMW) #24; van den Broecke #12.

Condition: A+