"[Lot of 2] Presbiteri Johannis sive Abissinorum Impery Descriptio [and] Barbariae et Biledulgerid Nova Descriptio", Ortelius, Abraham

The first of this pair of handsome miniature maps shows the African kingdom of the mythical Christian king, Prester John, embellished with a galley ship firing on Melinde off the eastern coast and two elephants on the continent. The source of the Nile is shown as two large lakes. This example has French text on verso. The second map shows the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa extending from Morocco to Libya and the western Mediterranean including Corsica, Sardinia, southern Italy and Sicily. Richly engraved with place names, mountains, and numerous spurious lakes in the Sahara Desert. Latin text on verso.

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Condition: B+

Both maps have crisp engravings with some marginal soiling and a few foxing spots. They have three very small (pin hole sized) wormholes.