1574 India Tercera Nuova Tavola
By: Girolamo Ruscelli
Date: 1574 (published) Venice
Dimensions: 7.5 x 10.25 inches (19.1 x 26.04 cm)
This important Ruscelli map of Southeast Asia, from his work La Geografia di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino, is based on Gastaldi’s map of the region dated 1561. It is one of the earliest modern maps of Southeast Asia. and one of the earliest to introduce Portuguese discoveries of the region.
The map covers the area from the Gulf of Bengal to the southern coast of China, as far south as Java and Timor, and to the northeast of Timor, the island of Gilolo. The Isthmus of Kra, Malaysia and Sumatra are all strangely shaped, with the isthmus appearing to be very short and narrow and Malaysia significantly larger than it is. Sumatra is also inaccurately presented. Numerous mountain ranges and river systems are depicted, and the oceans, seas and bays are stippled. Many place names are recognizable.
These depictions, along with nearby islands and early place names, provide a fascinating 16th century view of the topography of the region. Descriptive Italian text on the verso.
Girolamo Ruscelli (1500s-1566) was an Italian polymath, humanist, editor, and cartographer active in Venice during the early 16th century. Ruscelli is best known for his important revision of Ptolemy's Geographia, published posthumously in 1574.
Condition: This map is in A condition, an unusually strong and crisp impression on clean paper with full margins on all sides.
Inventory #11722
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