Sebastian Münster - Cosmographey: das ist, Beschreibung Aller Länder - 1590

Beautiful Original 16th-century astronomical colored woodcut leaf from Cosmographia, c. 1590 showing a Celestial Sphere Explaining the Seasons by S. Münster.

An attractive original leaf from a late 16th-century German edition of Sebastian Münster’s celebrated Cosmographia, printed in Basel circa 1590.

The principal woodcut presents a striking astronomical representation of the celestial sphere, showing the horizon, zodiac, celestial parallels and the apparent course of the sun. The zodiacal signs are arranged around the circumference, while two figures support the large celestial diagram from below.

The reverse is headed “Der Cosmographi.” and contains another astronomical woodcut illustrating the celestial circles and the zodiac, accompanied by extensive explanatory text in German Gothic type.

The work was a massive chronicle of all the geographical knowledge of the world to that point. The work included world maps as well as views of smaller cities and woodcut illustrations of historical subjects, mythology, natural history and ethnography.

Munster was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and a Hebrew scholar. He also became a Franciscan monk at an early age. Munster's Cosmographia was the first work of scientific based knowledge in the German language.

Dimensions: 35 x 23 cm.

Good condition, paper slightly browned due to age, two small wormholes, small tear in lower
white margin with old restoration.