Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
Travel Book Through Holy Scriptures, by Heinrich Bünting – Magdeburg, 1597 – Including the Cloverleaf Map and Other Maps of Palestine and the World
Opening: $6,000
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000
Sold for: $13,750
Including buyer's premium
Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae. Das ist ein Reisebuch, uber die ganze heilige Schrifft, in zwei Bücher getheilet. Magdeburg (Germany): Paul Donat (in Vorlegung Ambrosii Kirchners), 1597. German.
Travel Book Through Holy Scriptures, by Heinrich Bünting (1545-1606), a German pastor, theologian and cartographer, describes the travels of various notable Biblical figures through the Holy Land. The book was first published in 1581, and provided the most complete and comprehensive summary of biblical geography available. It has since been reprinted and translated into many languages.
The book features 12 maps (woodcuts), mostly double-spread (printed on two pages), including three figurative maps drawn by Bünting: The first and most well-known is the map portraying the world in the shape of a cloverleaf (the cloverleaf appears on the emblem of the city of Hanover, Bünting's birthplace). The three leaves of the clover represent the three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa. Jerusalem is depicted in the center of the leaf, representing the center of the world. The second map portrays Asia as Pegasus (a winged horse from the Greek mythology). Europe is depicted in the third map as a crowned and robed woman (the Phoenician princess Europa). In addition to these figurative maps, the book also contains more conventional maps: a world map, a map of the Mediterranean Basin, a map of Africa, four maps of Palestine, a map of Jerusalem and a plan of the Holy Temple.
[7] leaves, 240 [i.e. 241], [7] pages; [3] leaves, 30, 30-41, 43-102, [8] pages (eighth page blank); [1], 34 pages; [6], 15, [2], 14-21 pages. Lacking 3 leaves: one leaf at beginning of book (poems) and two final leaves. Mispagination. 29.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and tears (including open tears) to maps and other leaves, mostly repaired. Paper and tape repairs (including old repairs) to some leaves and maps. Tear to center of cloverleaf map, repaired with paper. Tears to Queen shaped map of Europe and Pegasus map, repaired with tape. Margins of several maps trimmed. Marginal tears to title page, slightly affecting text, mounted on paper for preservation and reinforcement. One leaf near beginning of book (map of Palestine) mounted on paper for reinforcement. Worming to several leaves. A few handwritten inscriptions (addition in red ink to map of Jerusalem). Fine, original binding, blind-stamped vellum with metal corners and clasps. Minor damage and wear to binding. Missing one clasp.
Travel Book Through Holy Scriptures, by Heinrich Bünting (1545-1606), a German pastor, theologian and cartographer, describes the travels of various notable Biblical figures through the Holy Land. The book was first published in 1581, and provided the most complete and comprehensive summary of biblical geography available. It has since been reprinted and translated into many languages.
The book features 12 maps (woodcuts), mostly double-spread (printed on two pages), including three figurative maps drawn by Bünting: The first and most well-known is the map portraying the world in the shape of a cloverleaf (the cloverleaf appears on the emblem of the city of Hanover, Bünting's birthplace). The three leaves of the clover represent the three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa. Jerusalem is depicted in the center of the leaf, representing the center of the world. The second map portrays Asia as Pegasus (a winged horse from the Greek mythology). Europe is depicted in the third map as a crowned and robed woman (the Phoenician princess Europa). In addition to these figurative maps, the book also contains more conventional maps: a world map, a map of the Mediterranean Basin, a map of Africa, four maps of Palestine, a map of Jerusalem and a plan of the Holy Temple.
[7] leaves, 240 [i.e. 241], [7] pages; [3] leaves, 30, 30-41, 43-102, [8] pages (eighth page blank); [1], 34 pages; [6], 15, [2], 14-21 pages. Lacking 3 leaves: one leaf at beginning of book (poems) and two final leaves. Mispagination. 29.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and tears (including open tears) to maps and other leaves, mostly repaired. Paper and tape repairs (including old repairs) to some leaves and maps. Tear to center of cloverleaf map, repaired with paper. Tears to Queen shaped map of Europe and Pegasus map, repaired with tape. Margins of several maps trimmed. Marginal tears to title page, slightly affecting text, mounted on paper for preservation and reinforcement. One leaf near beginning of book (map of Palestine) mounted on paper for reinforcement. Worming to several leaves. A few handwritten inscriptions (addition in red ink to map of Jerusalem). Fine, original binding, blind-stamped vellum with metal corners and clasps. Minor damage and wear to binding. Missing one clasp.
Palestine
Palestine