Sebastian Munster:  Das Erst General / inhaltend die beschreibung…[modern world]

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Title: Das Erst General / inhaltend die beschreibung…[modern world]

Map Maker: Sebastian Munster

Description:

Decorative full color example of Munster's map of the modern world. This example is from the second woodblock, which includes the engraver David Kandel's initials. The map is richly embellished with sea monsters and 12 windheads.

The map first appeared in the 1550 edition of Munster's Cosmographia. 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 west coast of America appears on the right side of the map. This is also the 1st 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. 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. 

References: Shirley 92.

Related Categories:
Maps of the World
Maps of the World