A 16th century map of Southern Africa

RUSCELLI, Girolamo.

Africa Nuova Tavola.
Venice: Vincenzo Valgrisi, c.1561, First state. 190 x 260mm.

A 'modern' map of southern Africa, showing the Gulf of Guinea, the Gulf of Aden, Magagascar, the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn. Interestingly, the Horn of Africa is misnamed Melinde.
This map was published in Ruscelli's 'La Geographi di Claudio Tolomeo'. A feature of this First State is that there is no platemark at the top: two maps were engraved on the same plate and the resulting sheet halved. Later the plate was cut in two.

NORWICH: 151.
Stock ID : 22243