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Description

The earliest surviving example of the most important modern map of Scandinavia and the Baltic Regions published in the mid-16th Century.

Rare and highly important early map of Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea by Michael Tramezini, based upon Cornelis Anthoniszoon's lost 9-sheet wall map.

Believed to have been first issued in 1543, the Anthoniszoon wall map is believed to have existed in 3 states, the first state of 1543 (no surviving examples, a revised second state of 1551 (no surviving examples), and a third state, which survives in a single example discovered in 1903 and now residing at the Herzog Augus Bibliothek in Wolfenbuttel, Germany).

As noted by William Ginsberg in his work on the early maps of Scandinavia, the content and form of the first state (1543) of Anthoniszoon's 9-sheet Caerte van oostlant is known through this Tramezini map of 1558, which was engraved by Jacobus Bossius Belga (fl. ca. 1555-1561). As noted by Arend Lang,

His [Anthoniszoon's] exemplary work represents a major watershed in the development of terrestial and maritime cartography. With the publication of the "Caerte de oostlant" all former cartographical drawings of the northern half of Europe, . . . including Ziegler's "Schondia" of 1532 and even the elegant copperplate engraving "Carta Marina" by the distinguished religious scholar Olaus Magnus, became obsolete.

The map extends from London in the southwest corner of the map to Norway, and from the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Coastline. The North Sea is decorated with sailing ships and ferocious sea monsters. As noted by Anthoniszoon on the third state of his map (translation by Lang from Latin),

. . . we have carefully marked the shallows, which pose great danger to sailors, with colors and dots. Next the crosses that are formed by the rays of lines were placed there so that sailors would have a whole 16-point compass rose, as they call it, in the center of the map, around the Galtic Strait in Fyn. There are, in fact, nodes of this sort for a great many compass roses, by means of which nautical charts are set down.

And truly there are cities and islands which are beyond this work, at its border, that you will not be able to measure by what is shown. But since we are well-disposed in displaying each thing sufficiently, we shall very soon provide a little book in which we shall lay out everything extensively and, at the same time, the lands will be delineated with some sketches, which can be used on voyages. And lastly we have put many other things which will convey much that is useful and delightful to those who sail the seas.

Tramezini's map was of great import and was later copied by Camocio in 1562. As noted by Ginsberg and Lang, the map revolutionized the cartographid treatment of the region and would not be surpassed in detail and accuracy for decades.

Cornelis Anthonisz (1505-1503) was a Dutch painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He is known mostly for his woodcuts, especially the Bird's eye view of Amsterdam, from 1544. He also made several portraits of heads of state, and allegorical prints.

Tramezini's map is known in 3 states:

  • State 1: Imprint of Iacobus Bussius Belgia only.
  • State 2: Additional imprint of "Petri de Nobilis Formis"
  • State 3: de Nobilis imprint removed and the imprint of "Guillelmus Rubeus Fors Rom" added.

The map is very rare in any of the known states. We note only 1 dealer catalog entry and 1 auction record noted in AMPR in the past 30 years.

Reference
Lang, Die Caerte van oostlant des Corneils Anthoniszoon 1543 (1986); Ginsberg, Printed Maps of Scandinavia and the Arctic 1482-1601 (#11 and #16). Tooley #40.