Mercator, Gerard.

Fifth edition, folio (495 x 320mm.), Latin text, architectural engraved title, double-page portrait of Mercator and Hondius, 4 engraved sectional titles and 156 mapsheets, all but one double-page, hand-coloured and heightened in gold, contemporary vellum, maps reguarded, title cropped at right-hand edge and re-margined to size, a few repaired splits at folds, maps 7-12 (Polus Arcticus, Islandia, Britannicae insulae, Hibernia, Hiberniae II) with repaired tears affecting engraved areas and text on verso, some small marginal repairs, occasional light browning, rebacked

Koeman II, ME 27A

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

As well as being the greatest name in sixteenth-century map-making, Gerard Mercator (1512-1594), along with Ptolemy, is arguably the most important cartographer of all time. Indeed, his friend Abraham Ortelius described Mercator as "the Ptolemy of the age".

The present volume is the result of Mercator's project for a complete and original description of the creation, the heavens, earth and sea, as well as a world history. Koeman notes that "contrary to the maps in Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum, Antwerp 1570, Mercator's maps are original... [He] checked the current knowledge of the configuration of the earth's topography against its fundamental sources and drew new maps in his original conception. This method of map-making took more time than it would have by mere copying. But he had not the intention to compete with Ortelius's best-selling atlas" (Koeman II, p.282). Ultimately, the labour of creating these maps took its toll on Mercator, who did not live to see the atlas completed; the work was finally finished by his son Rumold.

Mercator's work won its proper fame when Jodocus Hondius bought the copper printing plates from the cartographer's heirs in 1604. In 1606 the first Amsterdam edition of the Mercator Atlas appeared. From then to 1638, the atlas saw many enlarged editions in various languages.