Sneak preview of five TEFAF Maastricht highlights

Daniel Crouch Rare Books brings a celestial atlas by Andreas Cellarius (c.1596-1665). Published in 1661, the Harmonia Macrocosmia was published in Amsterdam. It contains copper plate prints depicting the world systems of Ptolemy, Copernicus and Tycho Brahe. At the end are star maps of classical and other constellations.

It is the seventh volume of the Chronologica started by Gerard Mercator who wanted to gather together everything about the then-known cosmos, geography and history of the earth. Only two of the various engravers involved in the project are known: Frederik Hendrik van den Hove and Johannes van Loon. All the designs of the classical consetllations were taken from those created by Jan Pieterszoon Saenredam.

It the only celestial atlas published during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. It is a folio measuring 20 x 13 ½ in (50 x 33.5cm) and is offered for £350,000.