Lot 388 MAP OF IAPONIA, ENGRAVING, CIRCA 1595

Abraham Ortelius A beautifully engraved early map of Japan, from the renowned Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius, one of the first modern world atlases. This map is based on the earlier work of Luis Teixeira and represents one of the earliest European depictions of Japan. It features an exaggerated Kyushu, a distorted Honshu, and a highly speculative Hokkaido (labeled as “Eso”). The map is richly decorated with ornate cartouches, calligraphic embellishments, sailing ships, and a sea monster. The coastline of China and Korea is also depicted with artistic flourishes.
Map: 46.5 by 36 cm.
With passe partout: 60 by 50 cm