This bold map of Cyprus is based on Giacomo Franco's map circa 1570. It is embellished with three sailing ships, a sea monster and three elaborate strapwork cartouches, one of which encloses an inset map of the Greek island of Lemnos. The map of Lemnos was drawn directly by Ortelius from a written account by the French naturalist and traveler, Pierre Belon (1553). Engraved by Jan van Deutecum. This is the second state, with Latin text on verso, published in 1579.

References: Van den Broecke #149.2; Stylianou, pp. 60-62.

Condition: A

A dark impression with full contemporary color on a bright sheet with the crossed arrows watermark commonly found on Ortelius maps. There are light dampstains along the sides of the sheet, barely entering the image at right, a printer's crease in the left margin, and light soiling in the bottom corners of the sheet. The green pigment has begun to brown, but the paper is still supple.