Sebastian Münster (1488-1552)

COSMOGRAPHIA

1598–1600
Cosmographey: das ist, Beschreibung aller Länder, Herrschafften vnd fürnemesten Stetten des gantzen Erdbodens (…) Size 2°, 35.5 × 25 cm. In German, Gothic Fraktur. Woodcut initials, numerous woodcut illustrations and maps in the text. Title page printed in black and red, preserved fragmentarily. Period leather binding with later amateur restoration interventions. Dedication leaf not preserved. Book block incorrectly bound in places (transposed order of some gatherings). On the front pastedown, a record of acquisition from the 19th century – a clipping from a catalogue (the starting price was then 25 fl). This is one of the most celebrated books by the renowned cartographer Sebastian Münster. It was first published in 1544. This copy is a German edition probably from 1598, published by Sebastian Petri, son of Sebastian Münster, who took over his father`s workshop and continued publishing his cosmography. The last German edition dates from 1628. Münster`s maps were distinguished by high accuracy for their time and were subsequently adopted by other cartographers, such as Gerhard Mercator and Abraham Ortelius. The Cosmography describes the entire world and various knowledge about it, as was customary at the time. The book contains over twenty double-page maps, over 80 panoramic views, and more than 1,000 woodcuts depicting animals, battles, people, and allegorical scenes by artists such as Hans Rudolf Manuel (1525–1571), David Kandel (1520–1592), Jakob Clauser (1520–1579), Heinrich Holzmüller, and Christoph Schweicker. The Cosmographia is organized into six books. Book I contains treatises on astronomy, mathematics, and physics; Book II covers England, Spain, France, and Italy; Book III discusses Germany and neighbouring lands; Book IV covers Northern, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe; Book V deals with Asia and America; and Book VI is devoted to Africa. An attractive large-format copy with the preserved double-leaf world map showing, among other things, the hypothetical Terra Australis nondum cognita. Despite gaps in completeness, this is a visually impressive and highly collectible print with rich cartographic and pictorial accompaniment. Missing pages 239–240, 893–894, 971–972, and everything after page 1432, i.e. the final gathering with the colophon; in places incorrectly bound printed gatherings (transposed pages); leaf edges frayed, fragile with losses; edges historically repaired in places; several small insect holes; some pages creased; overall the book shows signs of improper use or storage, but the set of illustrations and maps appears to be largely complete.