Munster's famous woodblock illustrating sea monsters

MUNSTER, Sebastian.

De regnis septentrion. Monstra marina & terrestria, quæ passim in partibus aquilonis inueniuntur.
Basle, c.1560, Latin text edition. Coloured woodcut, printed area 280 x 350mm.

A very fine example of Munster's famous woodcut of sea monsters, based on Olaus Magnus' 'Carta Marina' of 1539. Besides a lobster large enough to hold an unfortunate sailor in its claw, there are monsters with the heads of a dog, boar, owl & bull: tusks, horns and twin-spouts abound. One vignette shows a galleon trying to outrun one monster by throwing their cargo overboard. Many of these monsters were adapted by Ortelius for his map of Iceland in 1587.


Stock ID : 18830