"ORBIS TERRARUM TYPUS".

A hand-coloured double hemisphere map of the world entitled "Orbis Terrarum Typus", which appears to be a later edition (probably by Jan Jansson van Waesberge in 1674) of a map by Philipp Clüver, originally published in Leiden, Germany in 1624, shortly after his death in 1622, in his atlas "Introductio in Universam Geographiam". 

This beautiful and colourful map is embellished with six allegorical scenes, including Neptune, who is shown holding his trident in the lower left corner. The map depicts California as an island and includes Terra Australis Incognita, the mythical land mass believed for hundreds of years to occupy the South Pole. Its existence was believed to exist for over an additional 100 years after this map was published, until disproved by Captain James Cook during his first voyage of discovery, 1768-1771. North America is referred to as Septen Triona, with its northeastern region called Nova Francia (New France). "Septentrional" is synonymous with the term "boreal" after Boreas, the Greek god of the North Wind. South America is called America Meridionalis on this map.

This copper-plate engraved and hand-coloured map is printed on hand-made laid, chain linked and watermarked paper with wide margins.

The map is otherwise in excellent condition.

Size 26.5cm x 17cm including margins.

Philipp Clüver (1580-1622) was a German geographer and historian active in Leiden. He travelled by foot through Germany, England, Scotland and France gathering information for his maps. He was a prolific author of mathematical and theological treatises. He is famous for his edition of Ptolemy''s "Geographia" (based on Mercator''s edition of 1578) and his miniature atlases that were reprinted for most of the 17th century. His "Introductio in Universam Geographiam" was the first comprehensive modern geography textbook.