A great impression with original hand color of the Abraham Ortelius map "Presbiteri Johannis Sive Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio" from the 1612 Spanish edition of the Parergon supplement to the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the world's first atlas.  It outlines the kingdom of Prester John, the fictional Christian king who was rumored to rule over a third of the African continent.

Size: 18.75" x 20.5"

A handful of small tears around the margins and some water staining at bottom right (not affecting the main image), and general age yellowing  Please see photos for condition.  

This is the lowest-priced copy on the market.
  • Map: Presbiteri Johannis Sive Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio
  • Cartographer: Abraham Ortelius
  • Printing Date: 1612
  • Medium: Copperplate engraved map.
  • Size: 18.75 x 20.5
  • Publisher: Antwerp: Ant Coppenius Diesth
  • Series: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
  • Genuine 17th century engraved map by Abraham Ortelius.

    This map, known as the Prester John Map, depicts Africa from the Mediterranean to the Mountains of the Moon, which are placed below Mozambique. The dedication to biblical David is at the upper left, surrounded by the typical floral strap-like ornamentation. Above the dedication is the coat of arms of Prester John, and a long genealogical record traces his ancestors to King David. A similar flower-bordered rectangular cartouche is in the lower right corner with the map's title. About 1150 A.D., a rumor spread through Europe that somewhere in Asia, there was a powerful Christian emperor named Presbyter Johannes (with the court title of 'Gurkhan'), who had founded the kingdom of Kara Khitai. He had broken the power of the Musselman in his domain after a fierce and bloody fight. The mysterious Priest-King symbolized hope in the Christian world beset by Mongol hordes. Pope Alexander II resolved to contact Prester John, and his first step was to address a letter to him (dated 27 September 1177). The pope's physician was dispatched to deliver the letter in person. He never returned. Pope Innocent IV was even more determined than his predecessor and decided to convert the barbarians instead of conquering them. Dominican and Franciscan missionaries and civil ambassadors of peace plodded back and forth between the pope, the King of France and the Mogul Khan. These travelers soon learned that His Highness Presbyter Johannes and the Christian kingdom in deepest Asia were probably myths. But the popular fancy was not quickly dispelled, and instead of allowing their bubble to be punctured, the people merely transferred the kingdom of Prester John to Africa - specifically Abyssinia. No one knew very much about Abyssinia. A few die-hards like John de Plano Carpini and Marco Polo persisted in believing that Prester John still reigned in all his splendor deep in the heart of the Orient. On the larger map in Higden's Polychronicon, the empire of Prester John was located in lower Scythia within the limits of Europe. Still, on the map of Marino Sanuto, it was placed in further India. Finally, it was moved again to Central Asia and ended up in Abyssinia. However, the legend persisted, and four hundred years after Pope Alexander III wrote his letter to Presbyter Johannes, Abraham Ortelius issued his separate map. Abraham Ortelius (1527 - 1598) was a Flemish cartographer & geographer, celebrated as the creator of the first modern atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World). Ortelius' work, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, was the first uniformly sized, systematic collection of maps; this work can therefore be called the first atlas (although the term was not used until 20 years later by Mercator).