The Basel editions of the ‘Cosmographia’ from 1588 onwards contain a new world map, published by Sebastian Petri. Petri was the son of Heinrich Petri, who was 

’s son-in-law and the publisher of the ‘Cosmographia’ from 1550 onwards.

Cut from a new wood block by David Kandel (initials 'DK' features in the lower left corner), this map offers several differences from previous editions: Each ocean is labelled with a text block, made by inserting metal type into the woodblock, and this map contains one of the earliest references to the Pacific Ocean ('Mare Pacificum'). The map is richly embellished with a dozen windheads blowing gales from a clouded border. These cherubs do not intrude into the neatline of the map as they did in the first woodblock.

In his map, Münster adds to the contemporary confusion over Taprobana and Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka). He depicts a Sumatra-shaped Taprobana on the west side of the Indian sub-continent, while Java is in the approximately correct size and position of Sri Lanka. Taprobana was what the Greeks had called Sri Lanka, but late-Medieval and Early Modern geographers also applied the toponym to Sumatra and a phantom island. To add further to the confusion, farther south is Calensuan (spelt 'Callenzuan' on Waldseemüller’s 1507 world map, 'Calensuan' on Vespucci’s 1524 world map). The origin of this island is unknown, but it may be another corruption of 'Ceylon'. Münster combined the various hypotheses while also placing the East Indies farther west. He also includes Gilolo (today Halmahera), the largest island in the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. The triangular island 'Porne' denotes Borneo.

North America is shown fractured, with the majority of the continent at the left and the west coast appearing on the right side of the oval projection. Münster is non-committal as to the continuity of North and South America and here, an unbroken Central America is implied but is not clearly shown thanks to the curve of the projection. North America is labelled 'Terra Florida'.

The Sunderland Collection

 created this oval world map for his new edition of Claudius Ptolemy's '

', which also contained a completely fresh translation of the original text. This second edition of the world map has been printed from a new woodblock, created by the engraver David Kandel.

Münster maintained a large network of written sources and informants who fed him information about the shape of the world. This map is a fascinating combination of carefully collated data from both classical and contemporary sources including, Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation (1519-1522), Marco Polo's travels (between 1271-1295), 

’s 1507 world, and traditional Ptolemaic geography.

This map was one of the most influential depictions of the world to date and would be studied by 

, and others. It is skilfully engraved and embellished with spritely windheads, sea monsters, and billowing clouds.

This world map, 'Typus Universalis', was first published with the 1540 edition of Ptolemy's '

' and reissued in 1542, 1545, 1550, and 1552. Printed from a new woodblock, the 1550 'Typus Universalis' is a fascinating mixture of information derived from the most up-to-date sources. Close knowledge of Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation (1519-1522) is evident, and it is likely that Münster had access to the maps and manuscripts of Antonio Pigafetta, partially published in Paris in 1525. Also, Maximilianus Transylvanus’s account of the expedition based on Christopher Haro’s interviews, published in 1523. Other sources include 

’s 1507 world map - colloquially known as the 'birth certificate of America' - and the thirteenth-century writings of Marco Polo.

A fine example of the first printing from the second woodblock of Münster’s world map on an oval projection.

Münster’s World Map on an Oval Projection