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Important Cartography from the Niewodniczanski Collection
PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius (c.100-c.170)
Liber Geographiae cum tabulis et universali figura. Edited by Bernardus Sylvanus. Venice: J. Pentius de Leucho, 20 March 1511.
Details
PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius (c.100-c.170)
Liber Geographiae cum tabulis et universali figura. Edited by Bernardus Sylvanus. Venice: J. Pentius de Leucho, 20 March 1511.
First Venetian edition. Bernardus Sylvanus based his text on the Latin translation of Jacobus Angelus. Although the maps are arranged in the usual Ptolemaic order, Sylvanus amended them to take account of recent discoveries, with somewhat limited success, partly because his sources were already outdated, but also because he was less interested in correcting the cartography of the New World than in updating the mapping of Europe. Nonetheless, the most important map of the atlas is his cordiform world map, the first in this projection, the second world map in an edition of Ptolemy to show America, and the first map to show Japan.
The edition is also noteworthy for featuring the earliest example of two-color cartographical printing. The major regional names are printed in red in upper case to differentiate them from town names and less important localities, which are printed in black in lower case (the cordiform world map also includes a few regional designations in red). All the place names are printed in letterpress type that was apparently set into the woodblocks, possibly as slugs produced through a method of stereotype printing (cf. D. Woodward, introduction to the facsimile edition of Sylvanus' world map [Chicago, 1983]). Adams P-2218; Alden and Landis 511⁄8; Harrisse 68; Phillips Atlases 358; Sabin 66477; Shirley 31-32.
Folio (417 x 285 mm). 92 leaves (62 leaves of text, 30 leaves of maps). Title printed in red, text in two columns printed in red and black, spaces for initials with guide letters, 28 double-page hand-coloured woodcut maps printed in red and black on the final 30 leaves (i.e., all except Sylvanus' cordiform 'modern' world map, printed on both rectos and versos), 4 woodcut diagrams in text, the last, on H6r, nearly full-page (title dampstained, frayed and restored, not affecting text, slight cropping to clouds in left-hand and upper and lower margins of modern world map, a few other maps slightly shaved at borders, final few maps with slight loss at top centre). Contemporary blindstamped pigskin (some wear and repairs to spine, slightly soiled, lacking ties, covers a little bowed). Provenance: 'Collegii Si. Michaelis Vienne' (ink inscription on upper pastedown).
Liber Geographiae cum tabulis et universali figura. Edited by Bernardus Sylvanus. Venice: J. Pentius de Leucho, 20 March 1511.
First Venetian edition. Bernardus Sylvanus based his text on the Latin translation of Jacobus Angelus. Although the maps are arranged in the usual Ptolemaic order, Sylvanus amended them to take account of recent discoveries, with somewhat limited success, partly because his sources were already outdated, but also because he was less interested in correcting the cartography of the New World than in updating the mapping of Europe. Nonetheless, the most important map of the atlas is his cordiform world map, the first in this projection, the second world map in an edition of Ptolemy to show America, and the first map to show Japan.
The edition is also noteworthy for featuring the earliest example of two-color cartographical printing. The major regional names are printed in red in upper case to differentiate them from town names and less important localities, which are printed in black in lower case (the cordiform world map also includes a few regional designations in red). All the place names are printed in letterpress type that was apparently set into the woodblocks, possibly as slugs produced through a method of stereotype printing (cf. D. Woodward, introduction to the facsimile edition of Sylvanus' world map [Chicago, 1983]). Adams P-2218; Alden and Landis 511⁄8; Harrisse 68; Phillips Atlases 358; Sabin 66477; Shirley 31-32.
Folio (417 x 285 mm). 92 leaves (62 leaves of text, 30 leaves of maps). Title printed in red, text in two columns printed in red and black, spaces for initials with guide letters, 28 double-page hand-coloured woodcut maps printed in red and black on the final 30 leaves (i.e., all except Sylvanus' cordiform 'modern' world map, printed on both rectos and versos), 4 woodcut diagrams in text, the last, on H6r, nearly full-page (title dampstained, frayed and restored, not affecting text, slight cropping to clouds in left-hand and upper and lower margins of modern world map, a few other maps slightly shaved at borders, final few maps with slight loss at top centre). Contemporary blindstamped pigskin (some wear and repairs to spine, slightly soiled, lacking ties, covers a little bowed). Provenance: 'Collegii Si. Michaelis Vienne' (ink inscription on upper pastedown).
Brought to you by
Eugenio Donadoni
Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts