C.Ptolemy / N.Germanus

Secunda Asie Tabula

      Southwest Russia, Ulm, 1482 -1486, woodblock, Original colour. 51 x 38.5cms [20 x 15.25ins] A goodexample of this stunning incunable map, in strong original colours, of the regions of southern Russia between the north shores of the Black and Caspian Seas to the Baltic. Maps derived from Claudius Ptolemy's tabulations were first published in Italy in 1477. Five years later, at Ulm in southern Germany, Lienhart Holle and Nicolas Germanus produced the first woodblock series of these foundation maps. Published in two editions the maps are distinguished by their bold woodcut lines and typical strong contemporary colours emphasising natural features such as mountain chains, rivers and so on.