Incisione antica del 1544, edizione tedesca della Spagna di Münster

Loose leaf with a detailed description of Hispania, accompanied by an antique engraving illustrating the region. The reverse of the sheet contains text about the kingdom of Scotland. The engraving shows maps and coats of arms, typical of historical documents from the 17th century. The sheet shows signs of aging, consistent with its antiquity, but maintains its structural integrity. It is a notable example of cartography and historical description of the time.

German Edition: Although the work Cosmographia was originally published in Latin, the first German edition appeared in 1544, gaining wide dissemination.

20.5 x 34 cm

In the field of antique book collecting and cartography, the referenced engraving belongs to the famous German editions of the Cosmographia by Sebastian Münster (mostly printed in Basel by Heinrich Petri or his son Sebastian Petri). It is a loose leaf from this book, an important engraving.

Type of engraving: It is a woodcut. The drawing and text were carved in relief on a wooden block. The text in German was printed using movable lead type inserted into the recesses of the same wooden block. The text and the language: It uses the typeface known as Schwabacher or Fraktur (German Gothic script). The exact title that appears at the top of the page is usually "Hispanie beschreibung mit" or similar, depending on the year. The reverse: Being a sheet extracted from a book (and not an independent atlas map), the reverse always contains text in German that continues the geographical description, in this case, it is the chapter that discusses the kingdom of Scotland.

This document is a wood-engraved page, probably from the famous work Cosmographia by Sebastian Münster, published around 1544-1580. The map shows the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) with ancient geographical details and coats of arms of the kingdoms at the bottom. The text printed in Old German describes the region, mentioning kingdoms such as Catalonia, Castiliam, Nauarr, and Galliciam. It is a collectible item of ancient cartography, valued for its historical importance and the use of 16th-century woodcut techniques.