"Americae Descrip.", Mercator/Hondius

This is a charming reduced version of the Americas map Hondius engraved for Gerard Mercator's folio atlas. It is a combination of various cartographic sources. North America is greatly elongated with a Plancius type depiction of Newfoundland and a protruding Virginian coast, and the west coast is separated by only a narrow strait from Asiae Pars. South America is shown with a more or less correct western coastline and there is a large southern continent incorporating New Guinea and Tierra del Fuego. Decorated with sea monsters, sailing ships, and a strapwork title cartouche. Published in the English edition of Mercator's Atlas Minor under the title Historia Mundi or Mercators Atlas by Michael Sparke and Samuel Cartwright. Trimmed from a larger sheet.

References: Burden #153; Van der Krogt (Vol. III) #9000:351.

Condition: B+

A nice impression on a trimmed sheet that has been reinforced at top left with old paper to repair some tiny chips and tears. There are a few faint manuscript notations around the title.