1598 COSMOGRAPHY by Sebastian Munster antique ILLUSTRATED original binding RARE

img{max-width:100%} MUNSTER, Sebastian (1489-1552). Cosmographey: das ist, Beschreibung aller Lander, Herrschaften und furnemesten Stetten des gantzen Erdbodens... (Cosmography: that is, description of all countries, dominions and most important cities of the whole earth... ) Basel ; [Sebastian Henricpetri, 1598] With numerous of woodcuts, by artists incl. Hans Holbein the Younger, Urs Graf, Hans Rudolph Manuel Deutsch, and David Kandel, and many others. Original blind-tooled leather binding over wooden boards. Wormholes mostly at the front cover and first about 15 leaves, and some at the back cover and last few leaves The clasps are missing, joints and cap damaged Without the maps, the double-page woodcuts and the two panoramas, a couple of tears repaired with archival tape, a couple of leaves are detached, few pictures are cut out Folio: 9.5 by 14.5" Thickness 3.5" German text ========================================= From Wikipedia: The Cosmographia ("Cosmography") from 1544 by Sebastian Munster (1488–1552) is the earliest German-language description of the world. It also contains the earliest preserved text in the Latvian language. It had numerous editions in different languages including Latin, French (translated by François de Belleforest), Italian and Czech. Only extracts have been translated into English. The last German edition was published in 1628, long after Munster's death. The Cosmographia was one of the most successful and popular books of the 16th century. This success was due to the notable woodcuts (some by Hans Holbein the Younger, Urs Graf, Hans Rudolph Manuel Deutsch, and David Kandel). It was most important in reviving geography in 16th-century Europe. Among the notable maps within Cosmographia is the map "Tabula novarum insularum", which is credited as the first map to show the American continents as geographically discrete. the content consisted of: Book I: Astronomy, Mathematics, Physical Geography, Cartography Book II: England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Savoy, Trier, Italy Book III: Germany, Alsace, Switzerland, Austria, Carniola, Istria, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Pomerania, Prussia, Livland Book IV: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Walachia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Turkey Book V: Asia Minor, Cyprus, Armenia, Palestine, Arabia, Persia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Scythia, Tartary, India, Ceylon, Burma, China, East Indies, Madagascar, Zanzibar, America Book VI: Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, South Africa, East Africa ================================== Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) Sebastian Münster, a German geographer, cartographer, Hebraist, and theologian, was born in Ingelheim, near Mainz In 1505, he went to Heidelberg to enter the Franciscan order. In 1507 he went to Louvain, where he studied mathematics, geography, and astronomy. In 1509 Münster became a student of Konrad Pelikan, who taught Hebrew and Greek as well as mathematics and cosmography. In 1518 he completed his studies at the University of Tübingen. He was the favorite of the famous mathematician and astronomer Johann Stöffler. In 1524 Münster was appointed professor of Hebrew at Heidelberg University. In 1525 he published his first map as part of a broadside: The Instrument of the Suns combined a map, calendar, astrological almanac, sundial, and nocturnal on one attractive sheet, suitable for wall mounting. In 1540 he published a Latin edition of Ptolemy's Geographia with illustrations. He based this edition on the Latin translation by Willibald Pirkheimer and produced new maps to supplement the Ptolemaic maps. The twenty-seven maps of the Ptolemaic canon are supplemented by twenty-one new maps. Further editions appeared in 1541 and 1542. In 1544 he published the Cosmographia, a bulky book with 659 pages and some 520 woodcuts. Maps in this edition included three maps from the Ptolemaic canon and fourteen modern maps (from previous editions of the Geographia), as well as nine new maps. Later editions (1545, 1546, 1548) enlarged the Cosmographia. The 1550 edition contains cities, portraits, and costumes. These editions in both Latin and German constitute the full fruition of Münster's dream of a comprehensive geography. The Cosmographia was one of the most successful works of the 16th century. It passed through 24 editions in 100 years, in different languages, including Latin, French, Italian, English, and even Czech. The last German edition was published in 1628. He died at Basel of the plague in 1552. As a cartographer, Münster deserves special recognition for formulating a plan for a comprehensive and uniform map of a country. As a geographer, his greatest achievement was the Cosmographia. (Karrow). ================================================== Please see my other auctions Thank You Refund Policy: We will issue a FULL REFUND, 100% money back if you are not satisfied with your purchase. Items must be returned to us within 20 days in order to receive a refund or replacement. Buyer is responsible for shipping costs. Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution