The most important early map of Ireland

BOAZIO, Baptista.

Irlandiae Accurata Descriptio.
Antwerp, Johannes Baptista Vrients, 1608 or 1612, Italian text edition. Original colour with additions. 440 x 570mm.

Narrow margins with restoration, a common occurrence due to the large size of the map, crack in left fold repaired.

One of the most decorative maps of Ireland and rare because it was only issued in later, posthumous editions of Ortelius' atlas.
Orientated with north to the right the island is surrounded by decorative vignettes including strapwork cartouches, sea-monsters and galleons. Boazio was Italian, but worked in England between 1585 and 1606. He prepared the original of this map for John Sudbury (later Speed's publisher): published 1599, of which are three known examples.
Van den Broecke estimates that only about 1,325 were printed as opposed to approximately 6425 of the first map. Because the map was larger than most of the maps in the atlas, the edges often trimmed by the binder or damaged by additional folds, meaning that surviving example are even more scarce.

VAN DEN BROECKE: 23, state ii of iii.
Stock ID : 22287