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

This great 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 Atlantic. 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 genealogy tracing Prester John's lineage back to that of the Biblical king. Latin text on verso, published between 1574-75.

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

Condition: B+

Attractive color with two printer's creases near centerfold at top and bottom and professionally repaired chips and tears in blank margins. A hole in the title cartouche has been expertly and invisibly with the image replaced in facsimile.