Ortelius’s Map of the Persian Empire (c.1570)

Ortelius’s Map of the Persian Empire (c.1570)Title: Persici Sive Sophorum Regni Typus Cartographer: Abraham Ortelius Origin: Antwerp, Belgium Date: c. 1570 Technique: Copperplate engraving with hand colouring The Narrative: The Renaissance View of the Safavid Empire In the mid 16th century, the Safavid Empire of Persia was a major global power, a bridge between the expanding Ottoman Empire to the west and the Mughal Empire to the east. This map, created by the renowned Abraham Ortelius for his

Authenticity: Original 17th-century copperplate engraving

Drawn by: Chinese Export Artists (Canton School)

rich engravings

1885–1890

the map features a decorative title cartouche and subtle hand-colouring

Artist: Thomas Goldsworthy Dutton (1819–1891)

explicitly linking the map to the Dutch maritime companies

and the Cape of Good Hope

illustrating the precise and ritualized nature of 17th-century diplomacy

featuring the earliest detailed illustrations of tropical fish

and the unopened buds

Created specifically for Western traders in the bustling port of Canton