"Tab. I. Asiae, in qua Galatia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Bithynia, Asia Minor, Pamphylia, Lycia, ac Cilicia...", Ptolemy/Mercator

A fine Ptolemaic map of Turkey and Cyprus showing its ancient political divisions. The map is adorned with a strapwork title cartouche and two fierce sea monsters in the Mediterranean Sea. Mercator originally published this map in his 1578 edition of Ptolemy's great Geography. Although he is most renowned today for the projection he popularized and for first using the term Atlas for a collection of maps, he 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. This is the third state with a re-engraved title cartouche and the addition of a grid, published by R. and J. Westenios and Guil. Smith.

References: Mickwitz & Miekkavaara #235-7; Van der Krogt (Vol. I) #0921:1.3.

Condition: A

Nice impression and color on watermarked paper with light toning along sheet edges and damp stains in bottom corners, far from image.