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.
  • Sebastian Münster:  Beschreibung der Inselen unnd des gantzen Koenigreichs Sicilie.

    Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574

    Early woodcut map of Sicily (Sicilia) by Sebastian Münster. On the full text sheet. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder ,...

    Beschreibung der Inselen unnd des gantzen Koenigreichs Sicilie.
    1574 - Sebastian Münster
    11389

    Antique woodcut map of Sicilia, Sicily. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri in 1574.

  • Sebastian Münster:  Mörwunder und seltzame thier, wie die in Mitnächtigen ländern gefunden werden

    Heinrich Petri, Basle, 1574

    One of the most sought after 16th century curiosities.The famous charts of mythical sea and land monsters by Sebastian Munster in beautiful colours. With fantastic fishes and lobsters...

    Mörwunder und seltzame thier, wie die in Mitnächtigen ländern gefunden...
    1574 - Sebastian Münster
    11685

    Beautiful coloured woodcut of sea and land monsters. Published by Heinrich Petri and printed in Basel in 1574.

  • Francois de Belleforest:  Africae Tabula Nova

    Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575

    Ortelius' Africa Map as a Woodcut. Rare.A large and scarce woodcut map of Africa by Francois de Belleforest. Based on Ortelius' map of Africa from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum , but much rarer...

    Africae Tabula Nova
    1575 - Francois de Belleforest
    11745

    Antique woodcut map of the African continent. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Descriptio Germaniae Inferioris

    Gillis van den Rade, Antwerp, 1575

    Old coloured antique map of the Low Countries with the Netherlands and Belgium by Abraham Ortelius. Shows the area from The Hague to Cologne and from Emden to Paris. Above a title band held by two...

    Descriptio Germaniae Inferioris
    1575 - Abraham Ortelius
    11903

    Old coloured map of the Low Countries with Belgium and the Netherlands. Printed in Antwerp by Gillis van den Rade in 1575.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Africae Tabula Nova

    Gillis van den Rade, Antwerp, 1575

    Antique map of Africa by Abraham Ortelius. From the 1575 Latin edition of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius. Second state of the plate, still the date 1570 is present in the cartouche...

    Africae Tabula Nova
    1575 - Abraham Ortelius
    12410

    Coloured map of the African continent. Printed in Antwerp by Gillis van den Rade in 1575.

  • Sebastian Münster:  Affricae tabula nova / Africa, Lybia, Morenlandt, mit allen Königreichen so jetziger Zeit darumb...

    Petri, Basle, circa 1580

    Attractive woodcut map showing the African continent. From a German edition of Cosmographia by Sebastian Munster printed from Petri in Basel 1580. "This map ... was based on Ortelius ... The coast...

    Affricae tabula nova / Africa, Lybia, Morenlandt, mit allen Königreichen...
    1580 - Sebastian Münster
    10110

    Coloured woodcut map of the African continent. Printed in Basle by Petri circa 1580.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Regni Hispaniae Post Omnium Editiones Locuplettissima Descriptio

    Antwerp, 1580

    Original old coloured engraved map of Spain and Portugal by A. Ortelius. Showing the Iberian Peninsula with Balearic Islands and parts of northern Africa. With one large cartouche, a mileage scale,...

    Regni Hispaniae Post Omnium Editiones Locuplettissima Descriptio
    1580 - Abraham Ortelius
    10874

    Old coloured map of Spain - Portugal. Printed in Antwerp in the year 1580.

  • Heinrich Bünting:  Beschreibung des heiligen Landes Canaan

    A. Duncker, Magdeburg, 1581

    Decorative coloured uncommon woodcut map of Palestine / Israel from "Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae" by Heinrich Bunting. His work was much valued after the first edition in 1581, mainly because of...

    Beschreibung des heiligen Landes Canaan
    1581 - Heinrich Bünting
    10840

    Coloured woodcut map of Israel, Palestine. Printed in Magdeburg by A. Duncker in 1581.

  • Heinrich Bünting:  Africa Tertia pars Terrae

    Magdeburg, 1581

    Rare and early woodcut map of Africa by Heinrich Bunting. The map has an unusual shape, tapering to a narrow angle in the south. Several rivers appear in West Africa and as tributaries to the Nile....

    Africa Tertia pars Terrae
    1581 - Heinrich Bünting
    11197

    Coloured woodcut map of Africa. Printed in Magdeburg in the year 1581.

  • Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer:  Zee Custe van Sweeden otrent de Westerwijck en tgatt vann Stockholm... Kalmar... en Rookoe

    Cornelis Claesz, Amsterdam, 1583

    Rare sea chart of the east coast of Sweden from the Zeespieghel by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer. Shows the coastline between Kalmar, Kalmarsund, the northern part of Öland up to Stockholm. Splendidly...

    Zee Custe van Sweeden otrent de Westerwijck en tgatt vann Stockholm......
    1583 - Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer
    12409

    Coloured sea chart of Sweden. Printed in Amsterdam by Cornelis Claesz in 1583.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Tartariae sive Magni Chami Regni Typus

    Antwerp, 1584

    Beautiful original old coloured copper engraved map of the Tartary by A. Ortelius. Showing large part of Asia from Black Sea with Russia, parts of China, a curious early treatment of Japan and an...

    Tartariae sive Magni Chami Regni Typus
    1584 - Abraham Ortelius
    11336

    Old coloured map of the Northwestern US, Tartary. Printed in Antwerp in the year 1584.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Romaniae, (quae olim Thracia Dicta) Vicinorumq Regionum, uti Bulgariae, Walachiae, Syrfiae, etc....

    Antwerp, 1584

    Nice original old coloured map of Southeastern Europe with Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia to Istanbul in the southeast by Abraham Ortelius. Decorated with a large galleon, two sailing ships, a...

    Romaniae, (quae olim Thracia Dicta) Vicinorumq Regionum, uti Bulgariae,...
    1584 - Abraham Ortelius
    11353

    Old coloured map of Serbia, Bulgaria. Printed in Antwerp in the year 1584.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Terra Sancta, a Petro Laicstain Perlustrata, et ab eius Ore et Schedis a Christiano Schrot in...

    Antwerp, 1584

    Nice original old coloured map of the Holy Land by Abraham Ortelius. Showing the coastal line from Beirut to Gaza. The title cartouche is surrounded by biblical vignettes. In the dramatic scene on...

    Terra Sancta, a Petro Laicstain Perlustrata, et ab eius Ore et Schedis a...
    1584 - Abraham Ortelius
    11357

    Old coloured map of Palestine, Israel. Printed in Antwerp in the year 1584.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Septentrionalium Regionum Descrip.

    Antwerp, 1584

    Fascinating and important map of the North Atlantic by A. Ortelius in stunning original colours.Showing Scandinavia, Siberia and the Arctic regions in the East, the British Isles with the...

    Septentrionalium Regionum Descrip.
    1584 - Abraham Ortelius
    11436

    Old coloured map of the North Pole, North Atlantic. Printed in Antwerp in the year 1584.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Siciliae Veteris Typus ...

    Balthasar Moretus, Antwerp, 1584 [1624]

    One of the most beautiful maps of Sicily ever printed.A striking example of Ortelius' map of Sicily. Showing the Mediterranean island of Sicily (Sicilia) with three cartouches and rich...

    Siciliae Veteris Typus ...
    1584 - Abraham Ortelius
    12688

    Coloured map of Sicily (Sicilia). Printed in Antwerp by Balthasar Moretus in 1624.

  • Braun & Hogenberg:  Danorum Marca, vel Cimbricum, aut Daniae regnum...

    Gottfried von Kempen, Cologne, 1585 [1588]

    Gorgeous, old coloured map of Denmark by M. Jordanus from the town book Civitates orbis terrarum by Braun and Hogenberg. Showing Denmark with Holstein and Zealand with Bornholm in the east....

    Danorum Marca, vel Cimbricum, aut Daniae regnum...
    1585 - Braun & Hogenberg
    12141

    Old coloured map of Denmark. Printed in Cologne by Gottfried von Kempen in 1588.

  • Braun & Hogenberg:  Danorum Marca, vel Cimbricum, aut Daniae regnum...

    Gottfried von Kempen, Cologne, 1585 [1588]

    Gorgeous coloured map of Denmark by M. Jordanus from the town book Civitates orbis terrarum by Braun and Hogenberg. Showing Denmark with Holstein and Zealand with Bornholm in the east. Decorated...

    Danorum Marca, vel Cimbricum, aut Daniae regnum...
    1585 - Braun & Hogenberg
    12650

    Coloured map of Denmark. Printed in Cologne by Gottfried von Kempen in 1588.

  • Rumold Mercator:  Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio Quam ex Magna Universali Gerardi Mercatoris ... Rumoldus...

    Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam, 1587 [1609]

    Rumold Mercator's Striking World Map.Old coloured double hemispherical world map by Rumold Mercator. The only world map available to collectors to which Rumold's famous father Gerhard...

    Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio Quam ex Magna Universali Gerardi...
    1587 - Rumold Mercator
    12648

    Old coloured map of the world. Printed in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius in 1609.

  • Abraham Ortelius:  Septentrionalium Regionum Descrip.

    Christoffel Plantin, Antwerp, 1587

    Ortelius' famous and important map of the North Atlantic. With stunning old colours.The famous and probably the most beautiful map of the North. Shows the North Atlantic with Scandinavia and...

    Septentrionalium Regionum Descrip.
    1587 - Abraham Ortelius
    12682

    Old coloured map of the North Pole, North Atlantic. Printed in Antwerp by Christoffel Plantin in 1587.

  • Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer:  A Description of the Sea coastes of East Frysland with all their bankes, sandes and bekons.

    London, 1588

    Extremly rare, original old coloured sea chart of the coast of East Friesland from L. J. Waghenaer. From the rare and only English edition of the Spieghel der Zeevaerdt : The Mariners Mirror of...

    A Description of the Sea coastes of East Frysland with all their bankes,...
    1588 - Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer
    11474

    Old coloured sea chart of East Frisland. Printed in London in the year 1588.

  • Sebastian Münster:  New Griechenlandt, mit andern anstossenden Ländern, wie es zu unsern zeiten beschriben ist.

    Heinrich Petri, Basle, circa 1588

    Woodcut map of Greece by Sebastian Münster. The map has early colour which is rare for a Seb. Münster map. Showing Greece with western Turkey. The title on verso Graciae. New Griechenlandt / so...

    New Griechenlandt, mit andern anstossenden Ländern, wie es zu unsern...
    1588 - Sebastian Münster
    11519

    Old coloured woodcut map of Greece. Printed in Basle by Heinrich Petri circa 1588.

  • Sebastian Münster:  Die erst Tafel, innhaltend das Schweytzerlandt, mit den anstossenden Ländern / Die ander Tafel...

    Sebastian Henric Petri, Basle, 1588

    Monumental map of the course of the Rhine river. The three-sheet woodcut map showing the Rhine from the headwaters in Switzerland to its mouth in the North Sea. The map on three leaves was first...

    Die erst Tafel, innhaltend das Schweytzerlandt, mit den anstossenden...
    1588 - Sebastian Münster
    11589

    Coloured woodcut map of the Rhine River. Printed in Basle by Sebastian Henric Petri in 1588.

  • Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer:  Beschrijuinge vande wterste omlopende custe van Judtlandt aen weder zijden op de Belt en Noortzee...

    Cornelis Claesz, Amsterdam, 1588

    Rare and very beautiful sea chart of the coasts of Denmark by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer. Shows the coastline of Jutland with Aalborg, Hals, Saeby, Hirtshals to Skagen and the island of Laesoe...

    Beschrijuinge vande wterste omlopende custe van Judtlandt aen weder...
    1588 - Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer
    11768

    Coloured sea chart of Jutland. Printed in Amsterdam by Cornelis Claesz in 1588.

  • Sebastian Münster:  Asia wie es jetziger zeit nach den fürnemesten Herrschafften abgetheilet und beschriben ist.

    Sebastian Petri, Basle, 1588

    First edition of the second map of Asia by Sebastian Münster. Shows Asia as a continent from Turkey to Southeast Asia and Japan. With a sea monster and a title cartouche. On verso the title with...

    Asia wie es jetziger zeit nach den fürnemesten Herrschafften abgetheilet...
    1588 - Sebastian Münster
    12428

    Original antique map of Asia. Printed in Basle by Sebastian Petri in 1588.

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