Mercator's Ptolemaic map of Taprobana, (Ceylon) Sri Lanka

€ 580

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Sheet size: 40.5 × 50.8 cm (15.9 × 20.0 in)
Condition: Fair
Reference: BG-13522-2

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

General age-related toning. Original folding line, with split. Shows some creasing and staining. Few tiny holes. Latin text on verso. Please review the images for further condition details.

About this sheet

Antique map titled 'Asiae XII Tab'. Mercator's Ptolemaic map of Taprobana. The map shows Ptolemy's erroneous location of the island of Sri Lanka near the equator, with a bit of India shown to the northeast. Includes a pair of sea monsters and a sailing ship. Published circa 1580.

Gerard Mercator (1512 - 1594) originally a student of philosophy was one of the most renowned cosmographers and geographers of the 16th century, as well as an accomplished scientific instrument maker. He is most famous for introducing Mercators Projection, a system which allowed navigators to plot the same constant compass bearing on a flat map.