1550 Munster Leaf Legendary Franks Three-Headed Monster
1550 Description of Ancient Gaul
from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
The Sicambri, Legendary Kings of the Franks
Two Woodcut Pictures: Three-Headed Monster, Coat-of-Arms
One authentic woodcut leaf from
"Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster. German edition; Basel printing
house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1550. Book II ("Von Gallia"), pages
xciii-xciiii (93-4).
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 woodcut leaf from the 1550
German edition of Cosmographia is devoted to history of
the Franks and of
ancient Gaul. Münster writes about Marcomirus
(Marcomer I), legendary king of Troy and the Cimmerians (440-411 BC),
who led the Cimmerians in their route from the Black Sea
towards West-Frisia, Gelre and Holland. He
crossed the Rhine and conquered northern Gaul.
He was succeeded by Antenor II King of the Sicambri (BC 412 - 384)
and Priamus King of the Sicambri (BC384 - 358).
Thereafter the text talks
about the Sicambri (Sicambrians; forefathers of the Franks, Merovingians,
Carolingians and Capets), Francus King of the Franks (BC 39 - 11),
Ratherius King of the Franks (69-90 AD), and about the land of ancient
Gaul, including the Netherlands (Niderland/Holland, Rotterdam, Batavia),
Belgium, and Germany (Trier, Mainz).
The leaf contains
two woodcut pictures:
-
A woman worshipping chimera -
a three-headed monster. It has a lion's head, an eagle's head and a snake's head.
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French coat of arms
See scans for more details; click image to view larger version.
Page measures 8.3 x 12.8 inches. Margins suitable
for framing. Printed on quality laid paper.
The leaf is in good condition.
Imperfections: minor staining and handling, primarily in margins;
three wormholes;
marginal chips and cuts (far from the printed area).
This is a rare and exceptionally interesting historical document which
will look great with a mat and frame.
-
This item is unconditionally guaranteed to be original and as described. We do not sell reproductions or
copies.
-
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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