MÜNSTER, SEBASTIAN, AND HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER. 'TYPUS COSMOGRAPHICUS UNIVERSALIS'. BASEL, [1532 OR LATER]

Woodcut map of the world on two sheets joined at the center (totaling 14 7/8 x 22 3/8 in., 376 x 569 mm). Spandrel vignettes, two large panels of inset type, several place names typeset; remargined on three sides, several short repaired tears and tiny surface losses. Handsomely framed with UVIII Plexiglass.

Shirley 67

Woodcut map of the world on two sheets joined at the center (totaling 14 7/8 x 22 3/8 in., 376 x 569 mm). Spandrel vignettes, two large panels of inset type, several place names typeset; remargined on three sides, several short repaired tears and tiny surface losses. Handsomely framed with UVIII Plexiglass.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

This handsome map first appeared in the 1532 Basel edition of Huttich and Grynaeus's 'Novus orbis regionum', and is adorned with border vignettes attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543). The most compelling vignettes feature winged angels at the poles turning the World on its axis with crank handles, suggesting Copernicus's theory of the rotation of the Earth thirteen years before the publication of his 'De Revolutionibus'. Geographically the map is quite antiquated, particularly its depiction of North America as the narrow "Terra de Cuba," but the multitude of embellishments—sea-monsters, mermaids, ships, winged serpents, an elephant, native peoples, hunting scenes, and cannibals preparing a meal—offer some compensation.