Das Erst General/inhaltend die beschreibung und den Circkel des gantzen Erdtrichs und Mere.

Munster's map of the world is one of the most recognized world maps of the 16th century. This example is from the second woodblock, which includes the engraver David Kandel's initials in lower left-hand corner. A sailing ship and several fierce sea monsters occupy the Oceans. The map Oval projection is surrounded by an elaborate depiction of clouds and the twelve winds designated by Aristotle. In keeping with the mythological origin of winds for direction finding, they are of necessity placed beyond the confines of the known world in an outer, celestial sphere. The title is in Gothic German on the top border. The map has an ornately embellished (German) title cartouche in verso, also featuring a German translation of the Latin expressions that were used.The map first appeared in the 1550 edition of Munster's Cosmographia. The Cosmographia of Sebastian Munster must rank as the greatest geographical compendium of the period - an immensely detailed work illustrated with woodcut portraits scenes town plans and panoramas and maps. Munster's particular geographic importance lies in the number of "new" maps he introduced and in the innovative, separate mapping of the four continents. The map is based upon a mix of information derived from Verrazano's explorations (1522-24) which mistook the Chesapeake for the Indian Ocean and Cartier's voyages (1534-35) up the St. Lawrence in search of the Northwest Passage. The continents are shown in rough outline only. North America is shown with the large cleft nearly separating the east coast from the continent, often referred to as the Sea of Verazano. The west coast of America appears on the right side of the map. In Africa, the Nile is prominently shown with its twin sources beginning in a range of southern mountains. This is also the first map to name the Pacific Ocean (Mare Pacificum). Munster is non-committal as to the continuity of North and South America, an unbroken Central America being implied but not clearly shown. Though unnamed, Terra Australis is present but small, only serving to form the Magellan Strait. The mythical islands of Grisonum and Calensuan are placed in the proximity of Australia. All of North America is called Terra Florida. Munster here adds further to the current confusion over Taprobana and Ceylon, depicting a Sumatra-shaped Tapbana on the west side of the Indian subcontinent, and Java in the approximately correct size and position of Sri Lanka.

Good condition; repair to top and bottom centrefold and corners. Mounted size: 47 x 56cm