Sebastian Münster (1488–1552). Die Länder Asie...1550

Sebastian Münster (1488–1552)
Die Länder Asie nach jrer gelegenheit biss in Indien
From Cosmographia Universalis, Basel: Heinrich Petri, circa 1550
Woodcut map
Sheet size: 15 x 11 inches

This extraordinary 16th-century woodcut by German humanist and cartographer Sebastian Münster presents a medieval conception of Asia and the Indian Ocean world, blending classical geography with Renaissance imagination. Published in his monumental Cosmographia Universalis, Münster’s map depicts Asia stretching from the Middle East and India to China and Southeast Asia, including regions labeled Cathay, India, Tartary, Zaylon, and Taprobana—legendary locales inherited from Ptolemaic tradition and travelers’ tales.

Richly symbolic, the map features a serpent-like sea creature in the Indian Ocean and an elaborate archipelago of “7448 islands,” reflecting Europe’s expanding curiosity about the East. The mountain ranges, rivers, and cities are stylized and iconic, and names such as Cinnamon, Ganges, and Aurea Regio point to the era’s fascination with the exotic wealth of Asia.

Münster’s Cosmographia was one of the most influential books of the 16th century, serving as a gateway for Renaissance Europe’s reimagining of the world. His maps were among the first to combine detailed woodcut illustrations with modern geographic ideas, laying the groundwork for later scientific cartography.