Description
The rare first state of Abraham Ortelius’s important and influential map Asia which was the model used by other mapmakers for over forty years.
This first state was issued from 1570-1574 and then in the course of 1574, Ortelius published a second state of the same map, Therefore, this plate is much less common than its successor. (Van de Broecke)
This first state is identified by the following;
1. Cum priuilegio engraved in the lower left corner (removed in 2nd state)
2. The name of a small island at top right; La Farfarna (changed to farfarna in the 2nd state)
3. The town of Ara to the left of Aden (removed in 2nd state)
4. Latin text on verso, with large page number 3, (11 mm), the last line of text is centred like the 2 lines above it:nem in maiori Tabula ante tres annos edidimus.
From, Abraham Ortelius’s, Theatrum orbus terrarum.
