Lot 46
Sylvanus, Bernardus
Auction: 26 January 2011 at 11:00 GMT
Description
Prima Europae Tabula. [Venice, 1511]. Map on two engraved sheets, printed in red and black, margins worn and repaired with some loss of marginal text and scale at base, 42 by 50cm., world map on verso, some discolouration along inner edge of maps
Footnote
Note: From "Claudi Ptholemaei Alexandrini liber geographicae cum tabulis..." [Colophon] "Venetus per Jacobum Pentium... MDXI".
The earliest Venetian edition of Ptolemy is of significance because of the innovative approach of its editor, Bernard Sylvanus of Eboli, who extensively re-drew some of the Ptolemaic maps according to more up-to-date information. The map of the British Isles shows, for the first time, a more correct north-south orientation, Scotland and Ireland become recognisable and the outlines of the south coast of England and Cornwall are much improved.