"Aegyptus Antiqua", Ortelius, Abraham

This is the northern half of Ortelius' two-sheet map of ancient Egypt, which is one of the most decorative and dramatic of maps prepared by Ortelius himself. It derives from the cartographic sources of Diodor, Herodotos, Strabo and Plinius. The northern sheet includes an inset of Alexandria and its surroundings. The map is decorated with spectacular strapwork cartouches, ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, pyramids, and a bold border. Latin text on verso, published in the first year in which this map appeared.

References: Van den Broecke #219.

Condition: B+

A nice impression on paper with the crossed arrows watermark commonly found on Ortelius maps. There is light toning, two small holes along the centerfold, and an archivally repaired centerfold separation at bottom. There are dampstains along the sides of the sheet, just entering the map border a bit.