1614 Munster Leaf: Egypt Ptolemy Ostrich Nile Moon Mts
1614 Description of Africa
from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
Egypt, Ostrich, Alexandria, Ptolemy, the Nile, Mountains of the Moon
Three Woodcut Pictures
Single authentic woodcut leaf from
"Cosmographia" by Sebastian Munster. German edition; Basel printing
house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1614. Book VIII ("Von den Landern Africe"), pages
1655/6.
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.
The 1614 and 1628 editions of Cosmographia are divided into nine books.
Nearly all the sections, especially those dealing with history, were enlarged.
Descriptions were extended, additional places included, errors rectified.
Click here for more information about Münster
and Cosmographia, including the content and
list of editions and artists
This authentic
leaf from the late German edition of Cosmographia
is devoted to Africa.
Page 1655 talks about Alexandria in Egypt.
The text mentions
Pharos of Alexandria -
one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous lighthouse in
antiquity. It was a technological triumph and is the archetype of all
lighthouses since. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus, perhaps for Ptolemy I Soter, it
was finished during the reign of Soter's son Ptolemy II of Egypt in about 280
BC. The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos in the harbour of Alexandria
and is said to have been more than 350 feet (110 metres) high; the only taller
man-made structures at the time would have been the pyramids of Giza.
Threafter follows a section on
Ptolemy of Alexandria
(Claudius Ptolemaeus) -
ancient astronomer, geographer, and mathematician who considered the
Earth the centre of the universe.
Ptolemy's astronomical work was enshrined in his great book "The Mathematical Collection",
which eventually became known as "The Great Astronomer".
Page 1656 contains a section
on the Nile, the principal river of Egypt. Münster writes
about the
Mountais of the Moon
("Montes Lune" or "Lunenberg") - snow capped
mountains near the Equator in Africa. claimed by Ptolemy
to be the source of the Nile.
The leaf contains
three woodcut pictures:
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An ostrich
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A hen and a rooster
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Ptolemy watching the stars
and performing astronomical observations.
See scans for more details; click image to view larger version.
The leaf measures 8.7 x 14.2 inches. Printed on laid paper.
The pictures are in fair condition but the
condition of the leaf is poor.
Imperfections: browning, staining, creasing, and two wormholes.
Still, this is a rare and exceptionally interesting historical document which
will look great with a mat and frame.
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This item is unconditionally guaranteed to be original and as described. We do not sell reproductions or
copies.
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I am a member of
the International Map Collectors' Society (IMCoS)
and
the Washington Map Society.
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about this item, please
contact me
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