This fine large map covers the region from Turkey through Iran, featuring the Arabian Peninsula prominently. The pictorial title cartouche bears testament to the strategic importance of the region as a link between Europe and the East. The cartouche features men loading a ship, a Persian merchant, a camel herder, an Asian elephant and an exotic dancing girl. The distance scale shows a sailor using navigational instruments. The map is nicely detailed throughout. The copperplate for this map was originally created by Reiner and Joshua Ottens, who sold the plate to Elwe. The Ottens had copied the map from Frederick de Wit's map of the region with the title "Nova Persiae, Armeniae, Natoliae et Arabiae Descriptio." After acquiring the plate, Elwe changed the title and added his own imprint. The Elwe issue is very uncommon.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) T.ELW-2a.

Condition: B

A sharp impression with full contemporary color on a bright sheet with some extraneous creasing near the centerfold. There is dampstaining along the centerfold at top, resulting in small tears and abrasions in the image and a chip in the blank margin that has been archivally repaired.