Theatri Orbis Terrarum Parergon; sive veteris Geographiae tabulae ... editio novissima. Antwerp: Balthasar Moretus, ex officina Plantiniana, 1624



Folio (19 x 13 in.; 480 x 325 mm). Engraved title with arms of Philip IV of Spain on verso, 39 double-page engraved maps including the 4 sheet Peutinger tabula, one folding map of Egypt, 3 double-page engraved views, 2 plates "Ordines Sacri Romani," one engraved map in text, all with contemporary handcoloring, numerous woodcut illustrations of coins, printer's woodcut device on final leaf; preliminaries including title-page dampstained in lower inner and outer corners, index and several text leaves lightly browned, "Italia Gallica," one sheet of the Peutinger tabula, and "Tempe Thessalica" browned, second map of Egypt dampstained in lower outer corners, long tear in left margin of the folding map of Egypt. Contemporary boards covered in Dutch-combed marbled paper, the spine in 8 compartments, plain endpapers, edges stained red; wear to extremities and spine.

Koeman III Ort 46; Phillips Atlases 5643

The final edition of the Parergon, Ortelius's atlas of ancient geography. It is based on maps drawn up by Ortelius between 1575 and 1598, which were included in the later editions of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. The Parergon is entirely Ortelius's own work, as he drew the maps and wrote the text; he even used his own coin collection as models for the portraits in the maps and the woodcuts in the text.