This fanciful cartographic curiosity provides a unique view of Renaissance attitudes toward the unknown lands beyond the civilized world. The woodblock illustration presents a compendium of monsters thought to exist in the sixteenth century. It was the source for many subsequent mapmaker's illustrations of the creatures thought to inhabit the seas and lands of the unexplored world. The panel across the top illustrates several unusual land-based creatures including a gluttonous bear. The majority of the monsters are ferocious sea creatures shown devouring hapless sailors and wrecking ships. There is a massive lobster shown with a person in its huge claws, and a huge fanged whale erupting fountains of water from its head, as well as a tree that appears to bear ducks as fruit. German text and small woodcut map of Samartia on verso.

References: Cumming, Skelton, Quinn, pp. 44-45.

Condition: A

There are a couple binding holes in the blank margins.