Iaponiae Insulae, map, anno 1603, Ortelius, contemporary full co

Coppermap, edited by Abraham Ortelius, in Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, latin edition, anno 1603, full coloured, little brownish on margins, some old restorations on margins. Plate size: 358 x 465 mm. Reference: vdB Nr. 165: "Luis Teixeira, a Portuguese cartographer, sent Ortelius in 1592 two maps of China and Japan (Hessels letter 210) which are based on unknown sources (Meurer p. 253 - 254). Although as early as 1617 the more accurate map of Japan by Blancus appeared, this map retained influence until more than 50 years after another milestone map of Japan appeared,  the Martini map of 1655".  Since the middle ages Japan was depicted as Chipangu or Zipangu. The Portuguese reached Japan in 1542. Till in 1641 all foreigners, except the Dutch, had to leave the Country. The missionaries offered the most cartographic information about Japan. The data from the Jesuits was accordingly revised by the official Portuguese cartographs, like Fernao Vaz Dourado. He gave Japan the shape of the back of a tortoise, like it was depicted already in the second half of the sixteenth century. Thanks to the close contact between Ortelius with Luis Teixeira, the most modern map in 1595 was added to the Theatrum.