A complete set of Ortelius' World and Continents.

An attractive set of these decorative and important maps published at Antwerp in Ortelius' Theatrum.
The maps are very early impressions, with no plate cracks in America and just a very tiny one for the world.
The Theatrum was the first large modern atlas and was extremely influential. The world and four continent maps offered here summarize in a decorative but powerful way the level of geographical knowledge at the end of the sixteenth century and the mastery of the art which expressed it on paper.

These five maps are the most sought after combination of maps in the Theatrum.
after Gastaldi and Mercator's great 1569 wall map. The title is given in large letters above the image and below, is a quotation from Cicero: "What do human affairs signify when one considers the vastness of the world and all eternity?"

Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio is one of the most famous maps of the New World. With a cartouche with sphinxes, masks and mysterious motifs that covers the South Pacific.

Asiae Nova Descriptio is the atlas version of Ortelius' own wall map of Asia, published in 1567, derived from Gastaldi and Albufeda.

Africae Tabula Nova is based on the Gastaldi wall map of 1564. It is embellished with a ferocious sea battle southeast of Madagascar and several sea monsters in the Atlantic. The drawing of the far eastern coast of Brazil, shown as well below the Equator.

Europae derives in large part from Mercator's work. Russia from Jenkinson's map and Scandinavia from Olaus Magnus. The relatively modest cartouche shows partially covered and apparently distraught Europe sitting on the back of a placid Zeus as bull, both gazing toward Europe.

Reference: Burden, The Mapping of North America I, 39, Koeman, Atlantes Neerlandici, Ort 2, Shirley, The Mapping of the World, 122, Van den Broecke, Ortelius Atlas Maps, 1,4, 6, 8, 9.