Theatrum orbis terrarum.

Fol.: [12, engraved title and portrait included] lvs, 112 maps mounted on stubs, 77-[9] pp., finely hand-coloured (fingermarking, occasionally browned, small marginal restorations, slight worming to some maps, map of Perugia underlaid, small marginal tears).

Contemp. restored Dutch vellum binding: white ivory vellum over pasteboard, decorated with gilt stamped corners, frames of gilt fillets and gilt centerpiece stamps, spine with gilt rolled stamps, a.e.g. (brownspotting to rear cover, stained, old restoration to spine, missing ties, new flyleaves).

Beautiful and complete copy with fine colouring of the 1584 Latin edition printed at Plantin press, the first one with 112 maps (1st ed.: 1570, 53 maps). The present edition consists of the "Catalogus auctorum", the "Theatrum" with 100 maps and the "Parergon" with 12 maps, all with Latin text by Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) on verso, and at the end the "Nomenclatur Ptolemaicus" including the letter "De Mona Druidum Insula... Epistola" by the British geographer Humphrey Llwyd (c. 1527-1568). This first large modern atlas includes a world map, 4 continental maps, 3 maps of America, 2 of Africa, 7 of Asia, 83 of Europe and 12 maps of the Old World in the "Parergon". As such it represents a landmark in the history of cartography outlining the standards of all later atlases with text and maps in a uniform format and presentation. Ref. van der Krogt IIIA [31:031]. Prov. Merkle, Hans Lutz (1913-2000) ("Ex libris Feurbacher Heide").