A superb example in full orginal colour and a contemporary binding

By JODE, Cornelius de., 1593 

Speculum orbis terrae.

  • Author: JODE, Cornelius de.
  • Publication place: Antwerp
  • Publisher: Arnold Coninx for the widow and heirs of Gerard de Jode.
  • Publication date: 1593
  • Physical description: Second edition. 2 parts in one volume. Folio (400 by 282mm). 2 engraved allegorical titles, 6 engraved diagrams, woodcut table and 110 maps on 83 mapsheets, 2 plates of the Emperor and Knights of the Orders of the Holy Roman and German Empire, title and maps fully coloured by a contemporary hand, contemporary vellum, traces of old ties.
  • Inventory reference: 2270

Notes

Rare. This second edition of the Speculum’, revised and enlarged, was prepared by Gerard de Jode shortly before his death in 1591, and his name appears on 10 plates. His son, Cornelius, prepared a further 10 new maps including the World, North America, China, Australia and Alaska.

Cornelius died in 1600 at the age of 32, after which the plates were published by the then publisher of Ortelius’s Theatrum’, Jan Baptist Vrients, who must have bought them to prevent further competition. He however had to face increasing competition from Mercator’s Atlas’. Despite the difficulties surrounding the publication of the Speculum’ it must have had a good reputation, and Petrus Montanus mentions it in the same breath as Mercator’s Atlas’ and Ortelius’s Theatrum’ in his preface to Pieter Kaerius’ Germaniae Inferior’ ” (Wardington Catalogue). 

Bibliography

  1. Phillips (Atl.), 198–399
    • Phillips, P. (1909–1992). A list of goegrpahical atlases in the Library of Congress. Washington: Govt. Print. Off.
  2. Sabin, 36826
    • Sabin, J. (1962). A Dictionary of books relating to America. Amsterdam: Israel.
  3. Alden, 593/34
    • Alden, J. and Landis, D., eds. (1980). European Americana: A Chronological Guide to Works Printed in Europe Relating to the Americas, 1493–1776, New York: Readex Books.
  4. Shirley, 165 & 184
    • Shirley, Rodney. (1987). The mapping of the world. London: Holland Press.
  5. Shirley, Atlases T.JOD-1c
    • Shirley, Rodney. (2004). Maps in the Atlases of the British Library: A descriptive catalogue cAD850 to 1800. London: British Library. 2 vols.
  6. Burden, 81.
    • Burden, Philip. (2007). The mapping of North America. Rickmansworth: Raleigh Publications.
  7. Koeman, 32:02
  8. JCB (3), I:329
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