Elaborate Map of the Holy Land, Illustrating the Life of Abraham

"Abrahami Patriarchae Peregrinatio, et Vita", Ortelius, Abraham

Ortelius designed, and probably also engraved this beautiful Holy Land map. It details the wanderings and life of the Patriarch Abraham. The map is displayed as though on a banner hung on a wall; it shows Palestine and a portion of Egypt, inset with a small map of the Middle East from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River. The imaginative design includes an elaborately engraved frame containing twenty-two scenes illustrating the life of Abraham, spanning his departure from Ur to his death. This is from the second plate, used from 1592-1624, with the hachuring within the medallion border running from upper left to lower right. From a Dutch edition, published between 1598-1613, of which Van den Broecke estimates that only 90 copies were printed.

References: Laor #547; Van den Broecke #183.

Condition: B

A nice impression on watermarked paper with lovely original color and light soiling. There are professional repairs to several centerfold separations in the bottom half of the image, and a few creases adjacent to the centerfold have been pressed flat and reinforced. The bottom margin was detached (including a portion of the border and just a touch of the medallions) and has been professionally reattached.