Subject: Celestial
Period: 1730-31 (published)
Publication: Mercurii philosophici firmamentum firmianum
Color: Hand Color
Size:
5 x 4.5 inches
12.7 x 11.4 cm
Little is known about Corbinianus Thomas, a Benedictine monk at Salzburg, but his Firmamentum is one of the unsung treasures of celestial cartography. It contained 54 small charts of individual constellations. Thomas used an interesting nomenclature system: Bayer Greek letter, Roman numeral for magnitude, and Arabic numeral for reference to a star catalog. This system originated on the large globes of Coronelli, as did many of Thomas's figures.
Splendid chart of the constellation depicting Perseus, the Rescuer of Andromeda, slaying Medusa.
References: Warner, p. 251.
Condition: B
Light stain at bottom right.
