Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 154

Plate size: 372 x 494 mm
Scale: 1 : 2,500,000
Identification number: Ort 154 (Koeman/Meurer: 44, Karrow: 1/64, vdKrogtAN: 1900:31A).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1570L(AC)44 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like 3 lines above it: Herberstain in suis Moschouiticis Commentariis.),
1570(B)44 (100 copies printed) (last line, centred like 5 lines above it: Vide & Seb.Munsterum.),
1571L44 (275 copies printed) (last line, centred like 5 lines above it: Vide & Seb.Munsterum.),
1571D/1573D44 (350 copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script like the entire text, centred like two lines above it: Van Pruyssen hebben wij in haer eygen Tafele gesproken.),
1572G44Koler (pasted over p.44 of a 1570L edition; few copies printed)(last line, left aligned, in Gothic script except for two names: besten beschriben/ Marinus Cromerus, und Sigmund vom Herberstein/in seinen Moscouitischen Commentarien.),
1572/1573G44 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like two lines above it: Von Preussen haben vvir in irer Taffel geredt.),
1572/1574F44 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred, in cursive script like the entire text: "Walachie. Nous auons parlé du pays de Pruße en sa Carte particuliere."),
1573L(A)58 (40 copies printed) (7th line from the bottom ends: insidiâtur. ; last line, centred like 3 lines above it: Cureo, sed typis eum non extare,addit.),
1573L(B)58 (40 copies printed) (7th line from the bottom: insidiantur. ; last line, centred like 3 lines above it: Cureo, sed typis eum non extare,addit.),
1574L58 (175 copies printed) (large page number, 11 mm; 7th line from bottom ends: insidiantur. ; last line, centred like 3 lines above it: Cureo,sed typis eum non extare, addit.),
1575L58 (100 copies printed) (small page number, 7 mm; 7th line from bottom ends: insidiãtur. ; last line, centred like 3 lines above it: Cureo,sed typis eum non extare,addit.),
1579L(A)79 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: citatur à Ioachimo Cureo,sed typis eum non extare,addit. ; page number 79 positioned below first part of historicus of penultimate line.),
1579L(B)79 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: citatur à Ioachimo Cureo,sed typis eum non extare,addit. ; page number 79 positioned below last part of Polonorum of penultimate line.),
1580/1589G79 (350 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it, in Gothic script: gedruckt finde.),
1581F79 (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "Nous auons parlé du pays de Prusse en sa Carte particuliere."),
1584L86 (750 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: tur à Ioachimo Cureo,sed typis eum non extare,addit.),
1587F86 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "Nous auons parlé du pays de Prusse en sa Carte particuliere."),
1588S86 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: Duglosso,copiosissimo historiador de Polonia,pero añade que no se halla impresso.),
1592L93 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "glossus,copiosissimus Polonorum historicus,citatur à Ioachimo Cureo,sed typis eum non extare,addit".),

Approximate number of copies printed: 4825.

States: 154.1 has two unnamed small rivers in Pomerania (running near "Lumburg" and near "Stargart" near the Baltic sea which are unconnected (correctly) though traces are visible of erasure of a connecting river.
154.2: from 1579 onwards the two rivers mentioned in state 1 have (incorrectly) been connected again. The town names "Sluchou" "Sluchou" and "Greiffenburg" in Pomerania now read "Sluchon" and "Greiffonburg". The river name "Gwda" has been changed to "Girda". "Frydberg" (left middle) has been changed to "Frydborg".
154.3: in 1584 the place name "Kynsberg" (left middle) has been changed to "Kynsborg". The ship now receives diagonal hatching from lower left to upper right on top of the original vertical hatching.
154.4: in 1587, the Silesian town "Pitzen" has been added, on the upper "Prosna" river, located on Polish territory. This has been incorrectly attributed to Ortelius' interpretation of the battle fought in Pitschen on January 14, 1588, between two throne candidates. The date of introduction of this change refutes this interpretation.

Further, a vertical crack developed in the lower right of the copperplate below the E of MORAVIAE, first visible in 1573, about 10 mm long. By 1592, it had widened and reached a length of 16 mm. A second vertical crack just to the right of the bottom scale number 47 is first visible in 1579 and is then 8 mm long. By 1592, its length has grown to 14 mm. These damages may have prompted Ortelius to introduce a new plate, similar to this one, viz. Ort155 in 1595.

Cartographic sources: Godrecki 1558, 1562, itself based on Wapovsky 1526 (Karrow 56/17, p. 280-281, Meurer p. 159).

Remarks: In 1595L replaced by plate Ort 155, which resembles plate Ort 154, but which has the title POLONIÆ | LITHVÆNIÆQ. | DESCRIPTIO.
Part of this map, viz. the North-East was reproduced on a stamp of 20,000 Zloty issued by the government of Poland in 1993. A crude lace of amber covers a considerable part of the map on this stamp.

Text

Bibliographical sources

Topographical names

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