"Carta Marina Nuova Tavola", Ruscelli, Girolamo

Ruscelli's mariner's map is based on Gastaldi's map of 1548. The landmasses are shown with little interior detail but with a fair number of coastal place names. The North American continent is most interesting with the western coastline extending to join Asia, and conversely the eastern coastline connects to Greenland and then onto Scandinavia. The continent is nearly divided by a large inland sea, often referred to as the Sea of Verazzano. Below South America is a huge island of Tierra del Fuego. Loxodromic lines cross the map radiating from sixteen focal points and the sea is stipple engraved. Latin text on verso, published in 1564. First state with the plate mark running off the sheet in the top margin.

References: Mickwitz & Miekkavaara #218-3; Shirley #111.

Condition: B+

A dark impression with light, scattered foxing primarily along the centerfold and in the blank margins. There are also light damp stains confined to the blank margins, and two worm tracks in the bottom margin. A tiny tower with two flags has been added in old manuscript ink just above the word "Peru."