Item #9464 Primae Partis Asiae. G. DE/ GASTALDI JODE, G.
The Very Rare First State
Turkey/ Holy Land/ Iran/ Iraq/ Arabia/ Afganistan.
[Antwerp, 1578]

Primae Partis Asiae.

11 ¼ x 19 ¾ inches, Fine hand color; fine condition.

A superb example of the rare 1578 edition of this fine map of the Middle East, spanning from Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean to western Pakistan.   The De Jodes (Gerard and his son Cornelis) produced only two editions of their atlas, the Speculum, and the first of these is of great rarity.  They had the misfortune of attempting to enter the atlas market at when Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, first published in 1570, was already established; it would appear in forty-two editions.

While there is little consensus on a qualitative comparison of the Speculum with the Theatrum, commercially the De Jode’s atlas was no match to Ortelius’.  The lack of success and hence the scarcity of the De Jode has been attributed to his rival’s superior political and business connections; Ortelius was able to enjoy a license and monopoly for his atlas, whereas DeJode’s efforts to secure a license were fruitless for many years and perhaps actively thwarted by the well-connected Ortelius.

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