"Africa", Ruscelli, Girolamo

This uncommon map shows the entire continent of Africa surrounded by stippled seas in the typical Italian style. The rivers of central and northern Africa feature prominently including the Ptolemaic concept of the origin of the Nile in two lakes south of the Equator. The largest of these lakes also has a river flowing southeast. As is seen in many maps from this period, Zanzibar is incorrectly located on the west coast. Decorated by a menacing-looking sea monster in the south Atlantic Ocean. This is the fourth Italian edition of Ptolemy by Ruscelli, revised, enlarged and edited by Gioseppe Rosaccio and printed in Venice by the heirs of Melchior Sessa. This map was one of the new continental maps added by Rosaccio for this edition. Italian text on verso.

References: Mickwitz & Miekkavaara (Nordenskiold-2) #227-48; Shirley (BL Atlases) T.PTOL-10f.

Condition: A

A dark impression on watermarked paper with a bit of light text show-through from verso.