1554 – S. Munster – Monstra Marina

Title: “Monstra Marina & Terrestria, quae Passim in Partibus Aquilonis Inveniuntur.”​ ​ Description: Spectacular ​woodcut of mythical land with sea monsters and animals. The monsters first were engraved in the ‘Carta Marina’ of 1539 by Olaus Magnus and have been used by many mapmakers to illustrate their maps. Legend and Identification of the Creatures: A: A massive Sea Serpent or Whale entwined around a ship. Sailors threw cargo overboard or fired muskets to ward them off. B: The Sea Orm, an enormous coiled sea serpent menacing a swimming swimmer. D: A Spouted Whale or Sea Monster with spines, common in early whaling folklore. F: Land-based Reindeer or elks native to Scandinavia. G: Various Woodland Mammals including Sables, Martens, and Bears. H: The Ziphius, a terrifying tusked monster known for devouring seals. I: Duckbirds (or tree birds). According to 16th-century lore, these birds grew directly out of trees like fruit and swam away once ripe. K: The Sea Pig, a bizarre tusked and multi-eyed creature reported by sailors in 1537. L: A fast-moving Whale referred to by Norwegians as a “springhval”. M: Enormous Monstrous Lobsters shown actively capturing a doomed sailor in their claws. N: A twelve-foot-long tusked Rhino-like Sea Beast that actively hunts down large lobsters. R: The Onocrotalus (pelican), described as having a large throat sack that sounds like a braying donkey. S: Clementia (or Rocken/Raya), a giant ray rumored to protect drowning sailors from sea monsters. T: The Sea Cow/ Sea Buffalo, an amphibious hybrid looking like a cross between a bull and a fish The woodcut comes from the early Latin edition of Sebastian Münster’s Cosmography, titled “Cosmographiae Universalis Libri VI…”, drawn by Hans Rudolf Manuel Deutsch- Swiss painter and artist, engraved by Martin Hoffmann, published by Heinrich Petri in Basel, 1554. ​​ Cartographer: Sebastian Munster​ (1488 – 1552) Sheet size: 40,51 x 31,8 cm Year: 1554 Technique: woodcut Condition: Good condition. Very attractive hand coloring. A few restorations of wormholes present. This is an original antique woodcut published in 1554 and NOT a modern copy or reprint On your request I will provide a Certificate of Authenticity