[ATLAS]. ORTELIUS Abraham (1527-1598)
Theatrum orbis terrarium [followed by] Parergon, sive veteris Geograpiae aliquot tabulae.
Antwerp, Ioannem Bapt. Urintium, 1603.
In-folio (486 x 345 mm), complete with 338 ff.
(collation: 1 bl. ff., A1-[D4], 1-118; aj-[ajjjjj],
I-XL, printing ff.). Hand engraved allegorical title-frontispiece, with full-page engraving of the arms of the Kingdom of Spain on the verso, memorial to Ortelius, engraved portrait of Ortelius, and architectural frontispiece (Parergon), 151 engraved maps enhanced with colours, 38 of them in Parergon. The whole mounted on tabs and beautifully hand enhanced with bright colours and gold, colourful wood-engraved lettering.
Full overlapping ivory wove vellum, flats decorated with a double gilt fillet frame with large gilt spandrels and a large gilt motif in the center, smooth spine decorated and bearing calligraphy "ORTELIUS" (ed. of 1603). Theatrum orbis terrarium" (Flemish period binding).
Superb and complete 1603 Latin edition in two parts in one volume, in a 17th century Flemish binding of only 300 copies (see:
M. van den Broecke, Ortelius atlas maps: an illustrated guide, 2011), hand-coloured and gold-embellished.
Some of the plates of the Theatrum orbis terrarium are hand-numbered in brown ink in the upper right-hand corner of the margins (plate 49 is erroneously numbered 50).
The Parergon includes an engraved title-frontispiece, Greek motto above the pediment and Latin motto under the title 'Historiae Oculus geographia', engraved lettering enhanced with colour, and the introductory leaves contain epigrams, Latin poems in homage to Ortelius and a table of the places mentioned in the Parergon. Contains 38 engraved maps and views, dated 1579 to 1598. Maps presented on a double page and accompanied by an explanatory text. (No maps on folios XII and XVI but comments on France and Germania).
One of the jewels of the golden century of cartography in the Netherlands. The publication of the Theatrum orbi
LIV2021
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