"Asiae VII Tab", Ptolemy/Mercator

Attractive Ptolemaic map covering Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea and what is now Turkmenistan, the Steppes, Afghanistan and beyond. The Himalayas and Northern India run across the bottom of the map. Although he is most renowned today for his map projection and the popularization of the term Atlas for a collection of maps, Gerard Mercator devoted much of his life to his Ptolemaic maps. The maps were beautifully engraved as nearly as possible to their original form and embellished with fine cartouches and cultural scenes. This map includes scenes of shepherds and their flocks and a great sea monster. Latin text on verso.

References: Mickwitz & Miekkavaara (Nordenskiold) #221-23.

Condition: A

Minor toning and a few edge tears in the margins, not near the map.