Karpathos Scarpanto Greek Island 1576 Porcacchi antique map w/ sea monsters

DESCRITTIONE DELL' ISOLA

DI SCARPANTO

(Karpathos / Greece)

issued Venice, 1576 by Porcacchi. Engraved by Giarolamo Porro.

A most attractive late 16th century engraving of this Greek island.

The map displays major geographical features in a charming manner, including cities with symbols, rivers, surrounding small islands, mountains, as well as four sea monsters. The charming pictorial and strapwork title cartouche and compass rose add to the visual appeal.

In near VG condition, original text below and on verso as issued. With very light scattered soiling and spotting -- mainly to margins of image and in no way visually offensive.

A delightful map with a wonderful and unique cartographic visual quality.

Sheet measures c. 7 1/2" W x 11 1/4" H

Map measure c. 5 1/2" W x 4 " H.

Beautifully hand colored.

Sphyroeras, Maps and Map-Makers of the Aegean , 39

Zacharakis, Maps of Greece , 1786

Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers , vol. 3, p. 452 (Porcacchi, noting this 1576 edition as having 17 newly added maps not found in the 1572 version) & (Porro 1520-1604, also engraved maps for Mercator's Atlas Minor & Ptolemy's Geographia of 1596)

R412