Orbis Terrarum

Matthaus Merian, was a publisher and engraver renowned for his town views. Fine double hemisphere world map from Piazza Universale, and richly decorated with symbols representing the sun, moon and four elements. In the lower left and right corners and in the central area of the map are a pair of sea monsters, a soaring bird and flowering plants. California is show as an island and Terra Australis Incognita is shown pre the discoveries of Abel Tasman in 1642. The most striking features of the map are the depictions of the sun and moon and Jehovah, in Hebrew, at top and the interesting allegorical representations of the elements at bottom a dragon for fire, a phoenix for air, a flowering plant for earth and a pair of sea monsters for water. The sea is stipple engraved. This is the second state, with the title in a strapwork panel at top, published in Gottfried’s Historische Cronica (1657) References SHI MOTW 356A A fine full color example of Merian’s double hemisphere map of the World, showing California as and island and a large unknown southern continent. Includes symbols for the sun, moon and the four elements, along with Hebrew letters in the center. The map was included in Merian’s German edition of Tommaso Garzoni’s Piazza Universale, first issued in Venice in 1585. This is the only edition to include Merian’s map, which Shirley rates as Uncommon (Shirley 356A).