{"product_id":"old-map-of-arabian-peninsula-by-mercator-1595-ptolemaic-projection-ornate-cartouche-red-sea-persian-gulf","title":"Old Map of the Arabian Peninsula by Mercator, 1595: Ptolemaic projection; Ornate cartouche; Red Sea \u0026 Persian Gulf","description":"\u003cp\u003eAsiae VI Tab., Gerard Mercator’s 1595 vision of the Middle East in Ptolemaic dress, presents Arabia and the adjacent waters with a scholar’s rigor and an artist’s flourish. Here the Red Sea (Sinus Perficus) and the Persian Gulf (Sinus Persicus) are emblazoned in Latin, their shores ringed with ports and promontories drawn from both classical authorities and more recent reports. The peninsula’s contours, from Yemen and Oman to the Gulf littoral of Iran, are rendered with striking clarity, while a chorus of ancient toponyms anchors the scene in antiquity. At once erudite and exploratory, the sheet encapsulates the sixteenth century’s central project: reconciling the wisdom of Claudius Ptolemy with the accelerating flow of new geographic knowledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMercator’s achievement lies in the way he refines a Ptolemaic framework without abandoning it. Working within the familiar trapezoidal projection of the classical tradition, he calibrates coastlines, river courses, and inter-city distances to align more closely with late Renaissance intelligence from merchants, diplomats, and sailors. The result is a learned palimpsest where Arabia Felix, Arabia Deserta, and Persis coexist with emergent understandings of the Red Sea’s narrows and the Persian Gulf’s curvature. In doing so, Mercator elevates Ptolemy from venerable authority to living interlocutor, demonstrating how ancient schema could be disciplined and improved by contemporary observation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map’s content is as rich as its intent. Political and physical geographies interlock: regional divisions are drawn with careful borders, while mountain chains and hill ranges step across the page in textured hachures that suggest relief and route alike. Rivers braid toward the coasts, threading city to city in a network of commerce and pilgrimage. Latin labels abound, from storied towns to lesser-known capes and islands, each name chosen to bridge classical reference and early modern usage. In the ample margins, historical notes and measurements provide a running commentary, guiding the reader through sources, coordinates, and the rationale for Mercator’s judicious corrections.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEqually arresting is the sheet’s visual language. An ornate cartouche anchors the bottom right, its strapwork framing a central inscription that proclaims the title with controlled exuberance. Decorative borders, disciplined calligraphy, and finely graded coastal shading project both elegance and authority. Color—applied with restraint yet purpose—distinguishes lands from waters and clarifies internal divisions, underscoring the map’s dual identity as scientific instrument and object of beauty. Every design choice, from the cadence of letterforms to the balance of blank sea against busy littoral, attests to a cartographer who saw no boundary between accuracy and aesthetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, the map stands at the fulcrum between classical cosmography and the modern world atlas. It testifies to the enduring relevance of Ptolemy’s methods while acknowledging the realities of late sixteenth-century knowledge: expanding trade across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, renewed interest in Arabian and Persian polities, and a humanist appetite for reconciling texts with things seen. For the discerning collector, Asiae VI Tab. offers more than a portrait of Arabia and the Persian Gulf; it is a meditation in copper and color on how civilizations inherit, test, and ultimately refine the maps by which they understand their world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountries and regions on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArabia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYemen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOman\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIran\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRed Sea\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersian Gulf\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurrounding smaller islands and water bodies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCartouche: An ornate decorative cartouche at the bottom right with a central inscription.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeographical Labels: Various city names, rivers, and geographic features labeled in Latin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBorders: Detailed outlines of regional borders between territories.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBodies of Water: The Red Sea (Sinus Perficus) and Persian Gulf (Sinus Persicus) labeled prominently.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTopographical Features: Indications of hills, mountains, and valleys.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInscriptions: Historical notes and details in the margins.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA striking example of Mercator's Ptolemaic map of the Middle East.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt highlights Mercator’s efforts to refine Ptolemaic maps based on contemporary geographical knowledge.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRepresents ongoing influence of Claudius Ptolemy, a 2nd-century Greek-Roman scholar whose work laid foundations for modern cartography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map integrates political and physical features, showcasing geographical detail and historical significance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt reflects a merging of ancient and modern geographical understanding.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures decorative cartouches and ornate borders typical of maps from this period.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe colorful presentation with intricate illustrations represents the blending of artistry and scientific pursuit in cartography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt symbolizes the transition from classical to modern geographical understanding in the late 16th century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map is a testimony to the ongoing relevance of ancient knowledge in shaping contemporary perspectives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969124540800,"sku":"UM00275206A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969124573568,"sku":"UM00275207A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":57969124606336,"sku":"UM00275208A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969124639104,"sku":"UM00275209A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969124671872,"sku":"UM00275210A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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