European and Asian Fine and Decorative Art - Cowan's Auctions

77 uniVersalis tabula i(J)uxta Ptolemaeum
Mercator, Gerard (Gerald). amsterdam, 1720-1730. Second state
of Mercator’s 1578 ptolemaic map with mythological figures
in the corners: Zeus (Fire)with thunderbolts, Hera (air) with
peacock, neptune (Water) with trident, and Gaia (Earth) with
fruits and vegetables. only the northern part of africa visible, and
Scandinavia, a small island near where denmark should be. India
is truncated, but Sri Lanka (labeled Taprobana) is large and in the
position of the southern part of subcontinent. often found as a
78 Köhler, Johann david
Descriptio Orbis Antiqui in XLIV Tabulis Exhibita. nuremberg:
Christoph Wegel, ca 1720. Folio with 44 hand-colored maps plus
illustrated title page and index. pages untrimmed, double-page
maps are 16.5 x 20 in. (402 x 501mm), possibly intended to be
custom bound and trimmed by purchaser. among the doublepage
engravings are also bird’s-eye plans of athens, rome, and
Jerusalem. Many pages have decorative cartouches and artistically
stacked historic coins of the region depicted. The “World” map
at the beginning only illustrates the “old World,” since that was
believed at the time to be the only “antiquarian world.”
Johann david Köhler (1684-1755) was a German historian one of
whose primary interests focused on coins as historical artifacts,
as these maps indicate. He also made contributions in the early
days of library science while serving as librarian at the university at
altdorf.
Christoph Weigel (ca 1654-1725) was an engraver, goldsmith and,
with Johann Köhler, expanded into mapmaking. He and his relation
Johann worked out of nuremberg during the first part of the 18th
34 EuropEan and aSIan FInE and dECoraTIvE arT
plate in the final edition of Mercator’s ptolemaic atlas, this appears
to be separately issued. Not removed from wrapping. Tape (probably
archival) reinforcement at center on verso is visible through the paper.
Property from the Collection of Dr. Fred E. Schwab, Ann Arbor,
Michigan
$1,000 - 1,500
century. Spine missing, any covering on boards that once existed now
gone. Maps overall are in good condition, with just occasional spots.
Property from the Collection of Dr. Fred E. Schwab, Ann Arbor, Michigan
$1,000 - 2,000