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| This superb woodcut ranks as one of the supreme examples of early printed cartography. It was published as part of a collection of accounts of early voyages by Johann Huttich and Simon Grynaeus, and is believed to combine the talents of both Hans Holbein the Younger and Sebastian Münster. The map itself - the work of Munster - is drawn on an oval projection and includes the still recent discoveries in the New World. At a time when many maps still showed America as part of the Asian landmass, Münster shows this almost wholly unexplored continent as a separate entity. Still unaware of the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, Japan, entitled "Zipangri", is shown close to the West Coast of North America. The expertly carved border decorations are the other feature of this map which give it its unique decorative appeal - the carving of the angels at each pole mechanically turning the world being particularly notable. This is one of the earliest depictions of the recently discovered belief in the earths' rotation.g |
