ASIA WIE ES JETZIGER ....

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Full Title Asia wie es Jetziger Zeit nach den Furnemesten Herzschafften Abgetheilet und Beschriben ist

Very attractive woodblock map based on Ortelius' 1570 map of Asia, which was the standard map of Asia for more than forty years. Petri added this map to Munster's Cosmographia from 1588 onwards, probably in an effort to compete with Ortelius' great atlas. The cordiform projection shows Asia extended too far to the east, an error propagated with Ptolemy. Japan is in a 'kite' form taken from Jesuit sources. Luzon is absent from the Philippines, and there are a great number of islands in the East Indies, but they are not well placed, due to the secrecy of voyages to the region. A portion of New Guinea is located in the lower right. The title is in the top margin and a text box describes the region. German text and illustration on verso.

Excellent hand colour.

Very good condition.

code : M3748

Cartographer : Sebastian Munster

Date : 1580c Basel

Size : 32*37 cms

availability : Sold

Price : Sold

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Originally a scholar studying Hebrew, Greek and mathematics, Sebastian Munster (1489-1552) eventually specialised in mathematical geography and cartography. It was this double ability - as a classicist and mathematician - that was to prove invaluable when Munster set himself to preparing new editions of Solinus’ “Memorabilia” and Mela’s “De Situ Orbis”, two classical descriptive geographies containing maps, and his own two greatest works, the “Geographia” and “Cosmographia”. These reflect the widespread interest in classical texts, which were being rediscovered in the fifteenth century, and being disseminated in the later fifteenth and sixteenth century, through the new medium of printing.

The “Geographia” was a translation of Ptolemy’s landmark geographical text, compiled in about 150 AD., illustrated with maps based on Ptolemy’s calculations, but also, in recognition of the increased geographical awareness, contains a section of modern maps. In the first edition of the “Geographia”, Munster included 27 ancient Ptolemaic maps and 21 modern maps, printed from woodblocks. Subsequent editions of the “Cosmographia” were to contain a vast number of maps and plans.

One consequence of Munster’s work was the impetus it gave to regional mapping of Germany, but Munster was also the first cartographer to produce a set of maps of the four continents on separate maps. Most importantly, through his books (the “Geographia” and “Cosmographia” alone ran to over forty editions in six languages), Munster was responsible for diffusing the most up-to-date geographical information throughout Europe.