Ruysch’s atlas is one of many works printed by Bernadino de Vitalibus who describes himself in the preface as a Venetian. He is known to have printed over 150 works between 1493 and 1539. This edition includes six of the fourteen sheets of the ‘Orbis Nova Descriptio’ by Beneventanus, usually found in the 1508 edition only. Indeed, the watermark is normally associated with books published in Venice in 1508, which suggests the present work was assembled towards the end of the lifespan of the 1507 edition. The third state is identifiable by the labels of 'Sinus Gageticus' and 'Sinus Magnus' on the right-hand plate and 'La Dominica' correctly labelled on the left hand plate, and the word ‘oceanus’ around the circumference of the map.

Ruysch’s map referred mostly to Portuguese sources, in particular the Contarini-Rosselli map of 1506. He draws most of the North American coastline from Contarini, using a similar folding conical projection. The inscription 'Baccalauras', meaning codfish, also shows Portuguese influence (Portuguese fisherman caught vast quantities of cod in the area at the time). South America appears as a large distinct continent, called 'Terra Sancte Crucis sive Mondus Novus', with an inscription that notes Ruysch’s lack of knowledge on the newly found continent. North of South America appears 'Spagnola', the site of Christopher Columbus’s landing. This is distinct from the Contarini-Rosselli map, which indicates the site as Japan ('Sipangu'). 

To the west of Hispaniola there is a peninsula, probably Cuba, which bears a text scroll explaining that this was the limit of the Spanish explorations. Although the Contarini-Rosselli map showed Cuba as an island, Ruysch appears to have accepted Christopher Columbus’ theory that it was an Asian peninsula. Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia are all shown as part of the Asian land mass. Even if Ruysch did not explore these newly discovered lands himself, it seems that he was in communication with those who had, as there is a note next to Greenland explaining that compasses do not work in that area, suggesting that he had information from mariners who had observed magnetic variation there. 

His depiction of Madagascar, India, and Sri Lanka in their correct proportions must be taken from Portuguese sources, as evidenced by the nearby note about Portuguese activities in the area in 1507. His depiction of the Arctic region, with multiple islands circling the north pole, was original and influenced the work of 

Folio. 200 leaves, comprising letterpress title, index, and text in double columns with fifty-two lines to a full column on 107 leaves; ornamental initials and woodcut diagrams in the text; thirty-four double-page copper engraved maps on sixty-eight leaves (one folding); the treatise 'De Locis' in twenty leaves; iron-gall ink marginalia (mainly confined to corrections on M8 recto and verso, and the addition of modern titles to the suite of twenty-six Ptolemaic 'ancient' maps); major toponyms underlined in manuscript in red ink on all maps (except that of the modern world); small area of early colour to relief in Arabian Peninsula on 'Sexta Asiae', 'Quinta Europe' and 'Sexta Europe'; watermarks: swan surmounted by a crown above a key; countermark: T within a circle surmounted by a cross.

Exquisitely engraved, this map was created by Johannes Ruysch, a friend of Raphael and court painter to Pope Julius II, for a 1507 edition of Claudius Ptolemy's '

'. The edition featured all the usual Ptolemaic maps of different territories around the world, along with a number of additional ‘modern’ maps edited by the Celestine monk 

. This fan-shaped world map is very rare. It is celebrated as one of the earliest printed maps to include the Americas. At the North Pole, Ruysch depicts four islands surrounding an island of iron, an idea later copied and disseminated by 

. In the centre of the fan shape are the islands of iron that were believed to exist at the North Pole.

Ruysch was both an artist and a scientist who worked for prominent European courts. He created his world map for Pope Julius II and appears on papal payrolls in 1508 and 1509. His world map was completed in 1507 for an edition of Ptolemy's '

'. His edition featured all the usual Ptolemaic maps of different territories around the world, along with a number of additional ‘modern’ maps including Ruysch’s world map. 

The modern maps in Ruysch’s atlas were edited by 

 (1465–1524), a Celestine monk. Beneventanus states in the introduction to the 1508 Rome Ptolemy that Ruysch claimed to have sailed from England to the North Pole and then through to Asia. He may have been a member of John Cabot’s expedition from Bristol trying to reach China. Ruysch’s membership of the expedition has been debated, as his map does not show much new information.

World map on a conic fan projection

Map projection diagram with windheads

Ptolemaic world map

Ptolemaic map of Great Britain

Ptolemaic map of Spain

Ptolemaic map of France (Gaul)

Ptolemaic map of Germany

Ptolemaic map of Slovenia and part of Italy

Ptolemaic of Italy

Ptolemaic map of Sardinia and Sicily

Ptolemaic of northeastern Europe including Poland, the Baltics, Russia, and Ukraine

Ptolemaic map of the Balkans including Romania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia

Ptolemaic map of Greece including Macedonia, Crete, and Cyprus

Ptolemaic map of northwest Africa and the Balearic Islands, and the western Mediterranean

Ptolemaic map of northern Africa including Libya, Tunisia, and the Mediterranean

Ptolemaic map of Egypt

Ptolemaic map of central Africa including Ethiopia, Libya, and Egypt

Ptolemaic map of Turkey and Cyprus 

Ptolemaic map of Samaria (the Black Sea region)

Ptolemaic map of the Caspian Sea including Armenia, Turkey, and Georgia 

Ptolemaic map of Palestine, Syria, and Cyprus

Ptolemaic map of modern Iran 

Ptolemaic map of modern Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman

Ptolemaic map of modern Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan 

Ptolemaic map of modern China and Mongolia 

Ptolemaic map of modern Pakistan and Afghanistan 

Ptolemaic map of modern India 

Ptolemaic map of southeast Asia

Ptolemaic map of Taprobana (modern Sri Lanka) 

Modern map of the Mediterranean

Modern map of Prussia

Modern map of France

Modern map of Italy 

Modern map of Poland 

Modern map of Spain

World Map from the 'Nuremberg Chronicle'

This edition of Johannes Ruysch’s version of Ptolemy’s '

' includes an important and rare fan-shaped world map of his own design as well as the earliest obtainable printed depiction of the Americas. In total, this edition includes seven ‘modern’ maps, not present in other editions of translations of Ptolemy’s ‘

Eighteenth century vellum, 'C. Ptolom. Geog', morocco lettering piece to flat spine, some restoration to outside corners of both covers.