MAP, Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean, Ortelius

Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean. Abraham Ortelius, Culiacanae, Americae Regionis, Descriptio [on sheet with] Hispaniolae, Cubae, Aliarumque Insularum Circumiacientium, Delineatio, from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1581 (published). Hand Color. Two great early maps of important regions in the New World are combined into this interesting composition. The first covers the region of western Mexico around Culiacan and the Spanish settlement of Villa S. Michael's, the region noted for its silver mines. The second is the first detailed map of the Greater Antilles with detail in southern Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean that is quite remarkable for the period. Ortelius based the maps on a variety of sources including Mercator’s world map (1569) and other maps by Guttierez and Alonso De Santa Cruz. Three strapwork cartouches and sailing ships decorate the map. French text on verso.

LITERATURE: Van den Broecke #14.
Dimensions: 19.8 x 14.1 in
Condition Report: A crisp impression on a bright sheet with minor marginal soiling. Grade: A