1550 Munster Leaf: Memphis View Egypt Cleopatra Cairo

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1550 Description of Egypt from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
Cleopatra, Sultans, Heliopolis, Memphis, Cairo
"Eliopolis"
"Babylon/Memphis/Alkair"

Two splendid Woodcut Pictures

Single authentic woodcut leaf from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster. German edition; Basel printing house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1550. Book VI ("Von den lendern Africe"), pages Mccvii-Mccviii (1207-1208).

Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and Hebrew scholar whose Cosmographia (1544; "Cosmography") was the earliest German description of the world and a major work - after the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 - in the revival of geographic thought in 16th-century Europe. Altogether, about 40 editions of the Cosmographia appeared during 1544-1628. Although other cosmographies predate Münster's, he is given first place in historical discussions of this sort of publication, and was a major influence on his subject for over 200 years. Cosmographia contained not only the latest maps and views of many well-known cities, but included an encyclopaedic amount of detail about the known - and unknown - world and undoubtedly must have been one of the most widely read books of its time. Aside from the well-known maps and views present in the Cosmographia (including the first separate printed map of the Western Hemisphere), the text is thickly sprinkled with vigorous woodcuts: portraits of kings and princes, costumes and occupations, habits and customs, flora and fauna, monsters and horrors. Of about 20 German editions of the Cosmographia, the 1550 edition is the most valued. Click here for the title page of the 1550 German edition (not included).

Click here for more information about Münster and Cosmographia, including the content and list of editions and artists

This most interesting authentic leaf from the 1550 German edition of Cosmographia is devoted to Egypt. The first section on p. 1207 talks about history of Egypt. There is a mention of Cleopatra VII - Egyptian queen famous in history and drama, lover of Julius Caesar and later the wife of Mark Antony. She became queen on the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, in 51 BC, ruling successively with her two brothers Ptolemy XIII (51-47) and Ptolemy XIV (47-44) and her son Ptolemy XV Caesar (44-30). After the Roman armies of Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) defeated their combined forces, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, and Egypt fell under Roman domination. Thereafter follows a short text dealing with the Arabic and Turkish sultans and viceroys of Egypt.

Two sections on p. 1208 describe the cities of Egypt: Helipolis, Memphis, and Cairo ("Cayre"). Heliopolis was one of the most ancient Egyptian cities, and the seat of worship of the sun god, Re. It was the capital of the 15th nome of Lower Egypt, but Heliopolis was important as a religious rather than a political centre. Its great temple of Re was second in size only to that of Amon at Thebes, and its priesthood wielded great influence, particularly during the 5th dynasty, when the worship of Re became the state cult. In the New Kingdom, the temple of Re-Horakhte became the repository of royal records. Little remains today of this great city. Memphis was a capital of ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom (c. 2575-c. 2130 BC), located south of the Nile River delta, on the west bank of the river, and about 15 miles south of Cairo. Closely associated with the ancient city's site are the cemeteries, or necropolises, of Memphis, where the famous pyramids of Egypt are located. Thereafter follows the description of Cairo (Alcair/Alkair), the capital of Egypt. Medieval Cairo was often mistakenly referred to as "Babylon of Egypt," an error repeated by Münster. The leaf containts two interesting woodcut pictures:

• Cleopatra carrying a deadly viper (2.6 x 4.1 inches)
• City view of Memphis (4.5 x 2.6 inches)

Page measures 8 x 12.8 inches. Margins suitable for framing. Printed on quality laid paper. The leaf is in fair/good condition. Imperfections: several brownish stains, wormholes. This is a rare and exceptionally interesting historical document which will look great with a mat and frame.

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