"Descripcion de las Yndias Ocidentales", Herrera y Tordesillas, Antonio de

This uncommon map was originally created by Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, who was the official historian of Castile and the Indies. He compiled a history of the Spanish conquests and early explorations in the Americas, that included this simple, but elegantly engraved map of the Americas and the Pacific extending to the Spanish interests in the Philippines. Korea is shown as an island and is named here Cory, North America is truncated with a peninsular California and the Sierra Nevadas comprise the northern coast. South America is separated from the partial coastline of the unknown southern continent by the Strait of Magellan. The map was largely derived from the manuscript charts of Juan Lopez de Velasco. The lines of Spanish-Portuguese demarcation are shown, dividing the non-Christian world into spheres of influence. Being Spanish in origin, this map places the Philippines and Moluccas too far east, thus into the Spanish region. This map had a long history as it was re-engraved and copied five separate times after its first appearance in 1601. This is the is sixth and final plate, which most closely resembles the first plate but with a more elaborate cartouche at bottom, and was published by Nicolas Rodriguez in Madrid in Historia General de los Hechos de los Castellanos…, 1726-30.

References: cf. Burden #140 (Corrigenda & Addenda); Sabin #31546.

Condition: A

Issued folding on paper with the watermark of a coat of arms bearing a cross over the letters "SP." A nice impression with a couple of small worm holes at bottom right, as well as a fold separation and a couple of short tears confined to the bottom blank margin.