Antique map of Africa (North) by Ptolemy 1478
"The new copper plates engraved at Rome for the 1478 edition of Ptolemy's 'Geography' are much superior in clarity and craftsmanship to those of the Bologna edition. There is evidence that work on the Rome edition began in 1473 or 1474, and several of the plates may well have been engraved before those printed at Bologna in 1477. The printing was carried out by two skilled printers of German origin: Conrad Sweynheym and his successor Arnold Buckinck; the publisher was Domitius Calderinus. Many consider the Rome plates to be the finest Ptolemaic plates produced until Gerard Mercator engraved his classical world atlas of 1578." (Shirley)
"Until the 1477 edition was definitively dated, this edition was thought to be the oldest engraved atlas. It was printed by Arnoldus Buckinck, and is thought to be the only known book with his imprint. At first, the engraving was supervised by a German, Conrad Sweynheym of Main (d. 1477). His method of using a printing press for the copperplate maps, together with the fine engraving, produced an excellent result. The text was edited by Domitius Calderinus of Verona; he collated various Latin manuscripts in the translation by Jacobus Angelus with an ancient Greek Manuscript, which had been emended by Geirgius Gemistus (d. 1450). Calderinus was a careful worker, and his edition had been much admired for the correctness of the text, the fine typography and the brilliant engraving. Christopher Columbus owned a copy of this edition, which he annotated. The run of the edition is unknown, but it is considered scarce and therefore rare and important. ..." (Nordenskiöld)
Quarta Africae Tabula
Item Number: 6616 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Africa
Northern Africa by Ptolemy.
Map based on the trapezoidal prototype map of Nicolaus Germanus. Engraved under the supervision of Conrad Sweynheim.
Title: Quarta Africae Tabula.
Date of the first edition: 1478.
Date of this map: 1478.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Size (not including margins): 280 x 510mm (11 x 20 inches).
Verso: Blank.
Condition: Excellent.
Condition Rating: .
From: Claudii Ptolemaei Alexandrini philosophi Geographiam Romae. Rome, 1478.
"The new copper plates engraved at Rome for the 1478 edition of Ptolemy's 'Geography' are much superior in clarity and craftsmanship to those of the Bologna edition. There is evidence that work on the Rome edition began in 1473 or 1474, and several of the plates may well have been engraved before those printed at Bologna in 1477. The printing was carried out by two skilled printers of German origin: Conrad Sweynheym and his successor Arnold Buckinck; the publisher was Domitius Calderinus. Many consider the Rome plates to be the finest Ptolemaic plates produced until Gerard Mercator engraved his classical world atlas of 1578." (Shirley)
"Until the 1477 edition was definitively dated, this edition was thought to be the oldest engraved atlas. It was printed by Arnoldus Buckinck, and is thought to be the only known book with his imprint. At first, the engraving was supervised by a German, Conrad Sweynheym of Main (d. 1477). His method of using a printing press for the copperplate maps, together with the fine engraving, produced an excellent result. The text was edited by Domitius Calderinus of Verona; he collated various Latin manuscripts in the translation by Jacobus Angelus with an ancient Greek Manuscript, which had been emended by Geirgius Gemistus (d. 1450). Calderinus was a careful worker, and his edition had been much admired for the correctness of the text, the fine typography and the brilliant engraving. Christopher Columbus owned a copy of this edition, which he annotated. The run of the edition is unknown, but it is considered scarce and therefore rare and important. ..." (Nordenskiöld)