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 1590-1624, with the hachuring within the medallion border running from upper left to lower right. Latin text on verso, published in 1590.

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

Condition: B

Three large chips, almost entirely confined to the margins, have been replaced with old paper with a narrow section of neatline at bottom right in facsimile. There are large damp stains mostly at left and right which are not significantly noticeable on recto.