Central Africa. Abraham Ortelius, Presbiteri Iohannis, sive, Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio, from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1579 (published). Hand Color. This great map depicts the central African kingdom of Prester John, the mythical Christian priest-king who, according to legend, provided a bulwark against Barbarians and was an ally to the Crusaders. Ortelius designed this map himself using geographical information including Gastaldi's 1564 map of Africa. The mythical twin lakes of Zaire and Zaflan are shown as the origin of the Nile, with the Mountains of the Moon located as the source of the lakes. Two pairs of large elephants appear in the interior, and sea monsters and an Arabic ship (dhow) are depicted in the Atlantic. Two large strapwork cartouches balance the sheet, one enclosing the title and the other with text of the legend. The dedication is to King David, with a long genealogy tracing Prester John's lineage back to that of the Biblical king. Latin text on verso.

LITERATURE: Norwich #11; Van den Broecke #175.

On a sheet with the crossed arrows watermark commonly found on Ortelius maps, with minor soiling, marginal toning, and a short, archivally repaired tear at top center. Grade: B+

14.7 x 17.2 in