Typus Orbis Terrarium - an Elizabethan world map with Jesus Christ inset showing mythical lands by Matthias Quad, 1596 art print poster canvas gift

"TYPUS ORBIS TERRARUM, AD IMITATIONEM UNIVERSALIS GERHARDI MERCATORIS" - a scarce Elizabethan early world map with a figure of Jesus Christ on the left and showing an array of mythical lands and places, engraved by Matthias Quad and printed and hand-coloured by Johann Bussemacher in 1596 in Cologne.

Matthias Quad (1557–1613) was an engraver and cartographer from Cologne. Matthias Quad was born and learnt engraving in the Netherlands. An engraver in wood and stone, Quad collaborated with the Cologne publisher Johann Bussemacher. Quad's world map imitates planispheric 1569 map of Mercator with the addition of the figure of Christ and a quote from Cicero at the bottom. South America has the large western bulge similar to contemporary maps by Mercator and Ortelius. The mythical islands of Groclant, Thule, Frischlant and S. Brandam are shown near Greenland. Large Terra Australis Incognita at the bottom of the map with Straits of Magellan but no way around the Cape Horn. Asia includes references to the mythical lands of Beach and Lucach based upon Marco Polo, oddly shaped Japan but no Korean Peninsula. Classic 16th Century cartographic representation of North America, dominated by St. Lawrence River reaching to Texas and the Great Plains. Quivira shown as a town on the west coast of North America.

This poster is a high quality "giclée" reproduction of a restored antique original, custom-printed on Standard Single-weight Matt Coated art paper 140gsm or  Heavyweight Matt Coated art paper 230gsm (more of a thin card density), or superb Epson Matt Canvas 320gsm, according to your choice. We use the latest UltraChromeHDX pigment inks which guarantee 60 years of colour  permanence (up to 200 years fade-proof for colour prints).  This poster is suitable for mounting and framing, as well as direct display on a wall.