"Presbiteri Iohannis, sive Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio", Ortelius, Abraham

This famous map depicts the central African kingdom of the mythical Christian king, Prester John, who, according to legend, provided a stronghold against Barbarians and was an ally to the Crusaders. Ortelius designed this map himself using geographical information including Gastaldi's 1564 map of Africa. The mythical twin lakes of Zaire and Zaflan are shown as the origin of the Nile, with the Mountains of the Moon located as the source of the lakes. It includes two pair of large elephants in the interior and sea monsters and an Arabic ship (dhow) in the Atlanti. Two large strapwork cartouches balance the sheet, one enclosing the title and the other with text of the legend. The dedication is to King David, with a long geneology tracing Prester John's lineage back to that of the Biblical king. Latin text on verso.

References: Norwich #11; Van den Broecke #175.

Condition: B

A nice impression with attractive color. There is a repaired hole to the left of the Red Sea with a minimal amount of loss.