Sumatra ein grosse Insel, so von den alten Geographen Taprobana, ist genent worden

Early, decorative woodcut map of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by Sebastian Münster. To the left of the map a cartouche with explanatory text in 10 lines about pepper, above a large elephant representation. The title on verso is surrounded by a beautiful woodcut border. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder, published 1574 by Heinrich Petri in Basel. The woodblock of this map was used first in Münster's Geographia Universalis in 1540.

An untouched and not restored copy in excellent original condition. Minor soiling mainly in margin.

Sebastian Münster was born 1489 in Ingelheim (Pfalz). First being a Franciscan, he became Professor for Theology, Hebrew and Mathematics after he converted to Protestantism in 1529. He became one of the most influencing geographers of the sixteenth century. His Cosmographia, published in 1544, spread geographical knowledge wide over Europe. It was issued in nearly 40 editions and 6 languages. Münster was the first cartographer publishing each known continent on a separate map. His second important work was the Geographia, a new edition of Ptolemys Geographia. He died May 1552 in Basel on Black Death.