Huttich, Johann – Simon Grynaeus

Novus orbis regionum ac insularum veteribus incognitarum una cum tabula cosmographica. Basel: Johannes Hervagius, March 1532 



Folio (11 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 295 x 196 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title and last leaf, large woodcut map after Hans Holbein in two folding sheets as issued, small woodcut text illustrations on pages 30 and 129, some fine woodcut historiated initials; lacking quire delta, occasional light marginal spotting, some contemporary marginalia. Contemporary limp vellum with fold-over edges, remains of leather ties, in a tan cloth drop-box; a few stains.

Adams G1334; Alden-Landis 532/17; Sabin 34100; Shirley 67

Novus orbis regionum ac insularum veteribus incognitarum una cum tabula cosmographica. Basel: Johannes Hervagius, March 1532 Folio (11 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 295 x 196 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title and last leaf, large woodcut map after Hans Holbein in two folding sheets as issued, small woodcut text illustrations on pages 30 and 129, some fine woodcut historiated initials; lacking quire delta, occasional light marginal spotting, some contemporary marginalia. Contemporary limp vellum with fold-over edges, remains of leather ties, in a tan cloth drop-box; a few stains.
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First edition, with the woodcut map of the world in the first state [Harisse A] with word "Asia" in 8 millimeter letters and the title in the upper border "Typus cosmographicus universalis."  

This fine collection of voyages was compiled by Johann Huttich (1480?–1544), with a preface by Simon Grynaeus (1493–1541). The work contains the first three voyages of Columbus, Vincente Yanes Pinzon's voyage, the four voyages of Vespucci, and an extract of the Fourth Decade of Peter Martyr, as well as the voyages of Cadamosto, Nino, and Cabral. Other accounts deal with the travels of Marco Polo and voyages to Africa, Russia, Palestine, the Moluccas and elsewhere. 

The design of the map, including the scenes of extraordinary animals, people and customs, as well as the ships and sea monsters that decorate the oceans, has led scholars to the Holbein attribution. During his third Basel period Holbein designed a number of illustrations for books by the geographer Sebastian Muenster, to whom the map is sometimes attributed (see World Encompassed 66). The quire delta provides a preface to the map but was never included in the present copy.