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BOX 5038
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All auctions / Books, Maps & Manuscripts / Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) - Cosmographia Universalis...
This original sheet is a precious Renaissance page drawn from the Latin edition of 1550 of Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia universalis, printed in Basel by the publisher Heinrich Petri, focusing on the marvels and trade of southern Asia. The front of the page, marked with the number 1251, opens by examining local beliefs about snakes and talking parrots, then dedicates itself to a fundamental compendium on the routes of the spices entitled Species aromaticae unde comportentur in urbem Calechut (Cap. CXL). The text lists the places of origin of the era’s most valuable goods: the ginger (Inziber) from Calicut, the cinnamon of Ceylon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg of the Moluccas, musk of Pegu, and the pearls of the Strait of Ormuz. The next section describes the famous island of Ceylon (De insula Zaylon et de cinamomo, Cap. CXLI), extolling its wealth of elephants, rubies (rubini, sapphiri) and the valuable harvest of cinnamon bark (cinamomi cortex), before introducing the description of the city of Tanassari (De urbe Tarnasseri et civium moribus, Cap. CXLII) and its rich markets. Turning the page to the back, numbered 1252 (under the heading De terris Asiae maioris), the anthropological exploration of the eastern kingdoms continues, describing exotic fauna (lions, wolves, birds of every kind) and dwelling on the complex and dramatic local social customs. The text deepens the marital customs of women and, in particular, describes in detail funeral rituals (Mos sepeliendi), linked to the practice of cremating bodies on pyres enriched with precious aromatics such as incense, myrrh and aloe, accompanied by ceremonial music and dances before the sacrifice or the widow’s lament. The lower part of the page hosts the important chapter dedicated to the flourishing Burmese kingdom of Pegu (De Pego regno et urbe clarissima, Cap. CXLIII), described as an exceptionally fertile land rich in grain, meat, sugar, and cotton. The text extols its strategic importance as a commercial emporium (Bengella emporium), frequented by Christian merchants and delegates of the Great Khan of Cathay, rich with ships loaded with fabrics and precious stones such as rubies (pyropos seu robinos), protected by a formidable army equipped with war elephants and horsemen. Dimensions 30 x 20 cm Will be shipped by courier
Estimate:£170.09
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Estimate:
£170.09
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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£848.24
