"Claudii Ptolemaei Tabulae Geographicae Orbis Terrarum Veteribus Cogniti", Ptolemy/Mercator

This striking, classical title page is from Mercator's edition of Ptolemy. It features two river gods in the foreground, and personifications of music, art, and learning are shown mapping the globe, while the angel of Fame trumpets above. Engraved by Jan van Vianen. Although Mercator 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. This example is on a folio sized sheet and still attached to the table of contents for the atlas, published by Francois Halma and Guiljelmus van de Water.

References: Shirley (TP) #14B.

Condition: B+

Light soiling with a few small spots of foxing.