Sea Monsters

From the Middle Ages until the 17th century, sea monsters, marine beasts, dragons and strange creatures appeared on maps and charts. They indicate unexplored areas and made unknown oceans seem strange and threatening. These monsters served as decoration or referred to famous myths. Here you will find original antique and old maps decorated with these fascinating and visually engaging sea monsters and unnatural creatures.

Laurent Fries: [Tab. Mo. Primae Partis Aphricae et Tabula Secunde partis Aphricae.]
Johannes Grüninger, Strasbourg, 1525
Early woodcut map of North Africa by Laurent Fries after Martin Waldseemüller. Shows the the northern and western part of the continent. This woodcut map comes from the 1525 Strasbourg edition of...
[Tab. Mo. Primae Partis Aphricae et Tabula Secunde partis Aphricae.]
1525 - Laurent Fries
11887
Antique woodcut map of North Africa. Printed in Strasbourg by Johannes Grüninger in 1525.

1 500,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Die Länder Asie nach ihrer gelegenheit bisz in Indiam werden in dieser Tafeln verzeichnet
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1540 [1578]
The earliest printed map of the Asian Continent. Asia is shown from the Caspian Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In Southeast Asia the islands Java Major and Minor are named, also Borneo and the Moluccas...
Die Länder Asie nach ihrer gelegenheit bisz in Indiam werden in dieser...
1540 - Sebastian Münster
12841
Coloured woodcut map of the Asian continent. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1578.

1 800,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Von den Inseln
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1550
Early woodcut map of the Greek islands of Delos, Rhodes, Alone, Thera, Sicilia and Therasia. With two sailing ships and several sea monsters. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's...
Von den Inseln
1550 - Sebastian Münster
12588
Antique woodcut map of Greece. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1550.

150,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Die Tafel gibt ein kleine anzeigung... / Von Jerusalem...
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1550
Early woodcut map of the Holy Land with Cyprus. On the full page. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder , published 1550 by...
Die Tafel gibt ein kleine anzeigung... / Von Jerusalem...
1550 - Sebastian Münster
12599
Antique woodcut map of Cyprus, Israel. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1550.

290,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: [Asia Minor]
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1550
Early woodcut map of Turkey. On lower right with Cyprus. On the full sheet. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder ,...
[Asia Minor]
1550 - Sebastian Münster
12603
Antique woodcut map of Asia Minor. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1550.

250,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Das Erst General, inhaltend die beschreibung und den Circkel des gantzen Erdtrichs und Möre
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1550 [1578]
16th Century Woodcut Map of the World.Early woodcut world map by Sebastian Münster. This 'modern' map of the world is an oval projection with a vigorous surround of clouds and lusty...
Das Erst General, inhaltend die beschreibung und den Circkel des gantzen...
1550 - Sebastian Münster
12838
16th century woodcut map of the world. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1578.

3 200,00 €
Details
Giovanni Battista Ramusio: Parte de l'Africa
Tommaso Giuntis, Venice, 1556 [1565]
Early woodcut map of Western Africa by G. B. Ramusio after Giacomo Gastaldi. First published in 1556, it is one of the earliest maps of Africa grounded substantially in contemporaneous information....
Parte de l'Africa
1556 - Giovanni Battista Ramusio
12921
Antique woodcut map of West Africa. Printed in Venice by Tommaso Giuntis in 1565.

980,00 €
Details
Domenico Zenoi: Hispaniae descriptio - Hispania, que & Iberia in ulteriore dividit ac citeriorem...
Domenico Zenoi, Venice, 1560
The Rare and Important Zenoi Map of the Iberian Peninsula 1560.A very fine, rare and important map of Spain and Portugal by Domenico Zenoi (Zenoni). Richly decorated and engraved in 1560. In...
Hispaniae descriptio - Hispania, que & Iberia in ulteriore dividit ac...
1560 - Domenico Zenoi
12660
Rare and important map of Spain and Portugal. Printed 1560 in Venice by Domenico Zenoi.

16 000,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Spagnuola - Spagnvola - Descrittione dell' Isola Spagnuola prima Isola scoperta dal Colombo
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Hispaniola. This finely-executed map shows the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, the second largest island of the Greater Antilles, where...
Spagnuola - Spagnvola - Descrittione dell' Isola Spagnuola prima Isola...
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12363
Antique map of Haiti, Hispaniola. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

280,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: S. Lorenzo - Descrittione dell'Isola di S. Lorenzo.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Madagascar. This finely-executed map shows the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean with north to the left. With a compass rose, a...
S. Lorenzo - Descrittione dell'Isola di S. Lorenzo.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12365
Antique map of Madagascar, S. Lorenzo. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

250,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Corfu - Descrittione dell'Isola di Corfu.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Corfu. This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Corfu oriented to the northeast. With a compass rose, a sailing ship,...
Corfu - Descrittione dell'Isola di Corfu.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12374
Antique map of Corfu. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

290,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Candia - Descrittione dell'Isola di Candia.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Crete. This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Crete oriented to the north. With a compass rose, sailing ships, a...
Candia - Descrittione dell'Isola di Candia.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12375
Antique map of Crete. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

250,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Negroponte - Descrittione dell'Isola di Negroponte.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Euboea (Negroponte). This finely-executed map shows the island of Euboea (Εύβοια) and the southeast of Greece with Athens, Chalcis and...
Negroponte - Descrittione dell'Isola di Negroponte.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12378
Antique map of Euboea, Negroponte. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

220,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Elba - Descrittione dell'Isola dell'Elba.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Elba. This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Elba oriented to the north. With a compass rose, sailing ships, a...
Elba - Descrittione dell'Isola dell'Elba.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12380
Antique map of Elba. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

220,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Inghilterra - Descrittione dell'Isola d'Inghilterra.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of the British Isles. This finely-executed map shows England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland oriented with west on top. With a compass rose,...
Inghilterra - Descrittione dell'Isola d'Inghilterra.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12382
Antique map of the British Isles. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

260,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Sardegna - Descrittione dell'Isola di Sardigna.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Sardinia (Sardegna). This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Sardinia oriented to the west. With a compass rose, a...
Sardegna - Descrittione dell'Isola di Sardigna.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12385
Antique map of Sardinia, Sardegna. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

280,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Corsica - Descrittione dell'Isola di Corsica.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Corsica (Corse). This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Corsica oriented to the west. With a compass rose, a...
Corsica - Descrittione dell'Isola di Corsica.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12387
Antique map of Corsica, Corse. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

320,00 €
Details
Tomaso Porcacchi: Rhodi - Descrittione dell'Isola di Rhodi.
Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro, Venice, 1572
First edition of Porcacchi's very attractive and early map of Rhodes (Ρόδος). This finely-executed map shows the Mediterranean island of Rhodes oriented to the west. With a compass rose, a...
Rhodi - Descrittione dell'Isola di Rhodi.
1572 - Tomaso Porcacchi
12388
Antique map of Rhodes. Printed in Venice by Simon Galignani, Girolamo Porro in 1572.

220,00 €
Details
Abraham Ortelius: Typus Orbis Terrarum, Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio, Africae Tabula Nova, Asiae Nova...
Gielis Coppens van Diest, Christoffel Plantin, Antwerp, 1573-1584
Ortelius' World and Continents from the First Modern Atlas.A fine set consisting of a world map and four of the continents from the first modern atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham...
Typus Orbis Terrarum, Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio, Africae...
1573 - Abraham Ortelius
12683
Old coloured world map and continent maps by Abraham Ortelius. Published in 1573-84 in Antwerp.

18 000,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: [Griechenland nach seinen Land-Schafften und eigenschafften.]
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574
Early, attractive woodcut map of Greece. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder , published 1574 by Heinrich Petri in Basel.
[Griechenland nach seinen Land-Schafften und eigenschafften.]
1574 - Sebastian Münster
11316
Antique woodcut map of Greece. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1574.

200,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: [Die Tafel gibt ein klein anzeigung...]
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574
Early, attractive woodcut map of the Holy Land with Cyprus. On the full page. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder ,...
[Die Tafel gibt ein klein anzeigung...]
1574 - Sebastian Münster
11319
Antique woodcut map of Cyprus, Israel. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1574.

290,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Von der Insel Corsica
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574
Small, early woodcut map of Corsica by Sebastian Münster. On the full text sheet. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder ,...
Von der Insel Corsica
1574 - Sebastian Münster
11387
Antique woodcut map of Corse, Corsica. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1574.

190,00 €
Details
Sebastian Münster: Das erst General, inhaltend die beschreibung und den Circkel des gantzen Erderichs und Möre
Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574
16th Century Woodcut Map of the World.Early woodcut world map by Sebastian Münster. This 'modern' map of the world is an oval projection with a vigorous surround of clouds and lusty...
Das erst General, inhaltend die beschreibung und den Circkel des gantzen...
1574 - Sebastian Münster
11687
16th century woodcut map of the world. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1574.

2 900,00 €
Details
Francois de Belleforest: Negroponte
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A very scarce early woodcut map of Euboea (Negroponte). Below and verso description of Euboea. Ruled in brown ink.The map was published in the French edition of the Cosmographia Universalis...
Negroponte
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11315
Antique woodcut map of Negroponte, Euboea. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.

450,00 €
Details