Africae Tabula Nova

Fundamental map of the African continent, embellished with sea monsters and a naval battle. 

This map of Africa by Ortelius is one of the most desirable maps of the continent, sought after by both collectors and people with an interest in cartography and history.

Ortelius’ legacy is the first bound volume of maps systematically arranged to take the reader on a tour around the world beginning with the map of the world, followed by maps of the four continents; after this introduction the atlas takes the reader to the New World for a pair maps only present in the later editions; following on, Ortelius begins the European regional section, followed by individual Asian countries with African regions being at the back to the volume. During its publishing life, the “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum” or “Theater of the World” as it was known, was given the accolade of the “first Atlas”.

Geographically, this map is derived almost exclusively from Portuguese sources. Portugal used mariners of a variety of nations in its quest to round the Southern extremity of Africa and the resulting manuscript maps arrived in Italy, where they were published in very small numbers by local geographers. Ortelius was in contact with these individuals and his map is sourced from a combination of material, but particularly a four-sheet wall map by Giacomo Gastaldi published in 1564. One of the major features of Ortelius’s map was the astonishing accuracy of the coastline for its time and the extraordinary amount of mythical and legendary detail in the interior, which was almost exclusively based on rumour and hearsay. Probably the most prominent feature are the two mythical lakes in the central region which serve as the source for not only the Nile but several of the other great rivers of Africa including the Zambezi and the Congo. Nevertheless, it was used as a template for the cartography of the continent for the next half a century.

Aesthetically, this map was a radical departure from earlier maps with its “Oceanus Aethiopicus” teeming with sea monsters, emphasizing the danger of these mostly-uncharted waters as well as more prosaic problems as shown by the sea battle illustrated on the lower right corner; this allegorically refers to the rivalry between the burgeoning European powers, competing for lucrative trade routes to the Middle and Far East. The quality of the engraving is extraordinary with its use of stipple to mark the sea and the whole map is finished by a large, decorative cartouche on the lower left centre.

This example is the last German edition and the penultimate state 5 of the map. Image of reverse available on request. 

Original colour.