Taprobana

Antique woodcut map of Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Ceylon. Printed in Venice between 1528 and 1565.

Reference 12207

Description

Rare woodcut map of Sri Lanka or Sumatra by Benedetto Bordone. Shows the island of Sri Lanka (former Ceylon) with a part of the mainland of India on top.

From Libro di Benedetto Bordone... de tutte l'isole del mondo..., more commonly known as Isolario of Bordone, which first appeared in Venice in 1528. Three further editions followed in 1534, 1547 and 1565. The maps of all four editions were printed from the same woodblocks in Venice.

Details

Cartographer	Benedetto Bordone
Title	Taprobana
Publisher, Year	Venice, 1528-1565
Plate Size	19.4 x 14.8 cm (7.6 x 5.8 inches)
Sheet Size	30.0 x 20.7 cm (11.8 x 8.1 inches)

Condition

Very good condition.

Cartographer

Benedetto Bordone was an Italian cartographer, chart- and mapmaker who worked in Venice during the beginning of the 16th century. He is best known for his Isolario, a geographical, historical and cultural description of the islands of the Mediterranean and the world, which first appeared in 1528. The genre Isolario was very popular in Italy at that time and was intended as an illustrated guide for sailors. Bordone also describes new discoveries in South and North America for the first time in an Isolario. The book contains a record of Pizarro's conquest of Peru, the earliest known printed report of the event. Of particular interest are 12 woodcut maps of America and the earliest map of Japan as an island printed in Europe.

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Benedetto Bordone: Taprobana.

Antique woodcut map of Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Ceylon. Printed in Venice between 1528 and 1565.

India - Bordone, Benedetto - Taprobana