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Description

Striking full color example of this fine early map of the World, which first appeared in the third of edition of Quad's Europae totius orbis terrarum, published by Johann Bussemacher.

Quad's map derives from Mercator's planispheric map of 1569, with the addition of the figure of Christ and a quote from Cicero at the bottom. South America includes the large western bulge, as shown in contemporary maps by Mercator and Ortelius. The mythical islands of Groclant, Thule, Frischlant and S. Brandam appear near Greenland. Large Terra Australis Incognita at the bottom of the map, predating the voyages of Le Maire and Schouten which identified the route around Cape Horn--with only the Straits of Magellan showing.

The cartography of Southeast Asia includes references to the mythical lands of Beach and Lucach, based upon Marco Polo, in the general vicinity of Australia, with a note crediting the Venetian for his travels in the region. No sign of the Korean Peninsula. Oddly shaped Japan. Unusual NW coast of America with clearly delineated NW passage and Northeast passage, the former being obscured by the image of Christ. Classic 16th Century cartographic representation of North America, dominated by the conjectural course of the St. Lawrence River reaching to Texas and the Great Plains. Quivira is a town on the west coast of North America. Many other early cartographic misprojections.

Reference
Shirley 197.
Matthias Quad Biography

Matthias Quad (1557-1613), a map publisher based in Cologne, was trained in the Netherlands by Johannes van Doetecum, who also worked with the De Jodes. Quad used many De Jode maps as a base to which he added additional information and decorations. Quad was best known for his atlases, which were part of the first boom in atlases best characterized by Abraham Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. In 1592, Quad released an atlas of Europe that had 38 maps. He expanded it in 1594 to 50 maps. In 1600, he expanded the collection of maps further still, this time to 82 maps, and called the atlas, Geographisch Handtbuch. All three were small in size, allowing them to compete as cheaper alternatives to the larger atlases of Ortelius, Mercator, and the De Jodes. Quad released one other atlas, in 1608, with 86 maps, the Fascilus Geographicus.