Buy this book on-line Schenk & Valk: : Aethiopia Superior vel Interior; vulgo Abissinorum sive Presbiter Ioannis Imperium
Copper engraving, 38.5 x 48.5 cms, original hand-colour.
The legendary empire of Prester John, a Christian priest-king descended from one of the three Magi who supposedly ruled a vast territory bounded by heathens, had been associated with East Africa in the western consciousness since the fourteenth century at least, although the myth is much older. Our map contains cartographic information which is partly Ptolemaic - the source of the Nile is found in the twin lakes of Zaire and Zaflan - and partly has its origins in more recent exploration, specifically a group of Portugese envoys who reached Ethiopia in the 1520s. One of them, Alvares, wrote a detailed account of his travels which provided a useful source for Ortelius, who published his map of the region in 1573. Our map of the Empire of Prester John was first published in this form by Janssonius in the 1630s, derived from his father-in-law Hondius’ map of 1606 which in turn was heavily influenced by Ortelius’ map. Schenk & Valk purchased the copper-plates of a number of Golden Age Dutch map-makers, including Janssonius, and published them under their own imprint early in the eighteenth century.
Schenk & Valk: : Aethiopia Superior vel Interior; vulgo Abissinorum sive Presbiter Ioannis Imperium is listed for sale on Bibliophile Bookbase by Bryars & Bryars.
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