Beschreibung:

HONTER Johannes, "RUDIMENTA COSMOGRAPHIA", Tiguri (Zurich), 1546. Second edition (but the first obtainable) of THE FIRST NON PTOLEMAIC GEOGRAPHY WITH WORLD ATLAS. 8vo, contemporary 16th century crude pig skin, rubbed and frayed, but still firm, a scarce original 16th century binding. Missing title page, replaced with facsimile, four books of text, irregular pagination and all the very early 16 wood engraved plates, as called for. It contains: the circuli Sphaerae, the famous world sphere with the continents and the winds in Greek and Latin, the Planetarium, the famous world map in projection, dated Tiguri 1546 (each edition has a different date world map) and 12 regional maps (including 4 with immediate Greek interest) as follows: Spain, France, Germany and central Europe, Eastern Europe (Poland up to Black sea), Macedonia and north Balkans, southern Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Syria and Palestine, Asia Minor with Cyprus and eastern Aegean, western Asia, Africa and Sicily. All the maps, except the last, are double page. Onetwo worm holes in three plates, otherwise very good. Honter (14981549) was a TransylvanianSaxon, Renaissance Humanist and Geographer. His cartographic production was a landmark advance of early 16th century. He is the first who produced contemporary maps, freed from Ptolemaeus influence, in an Atlas. He apprenticed wood engraving in Basel where he produced his first map of Transylvania. He returned to Brasov, Transylvania, where he published in 1542 the first edition of his Cosmographia (called Rudimenta, as it was written in verses to be learned easily) with two books and 16 wood plates (but from different woodblocks than these ones). He returned in Zurich, after the Turkish invasion, where he published in 1546, this final edition under his own supervision. It contains among the earlier world representation as sphere (Magellans first trip around the globe was done in 1523). A very important geographical work, a landmark in history of Geography. RARE