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’ 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 names of the Pacific Ocean, as “Mare Pacificum”. The map is richly embellished with a dozen windheads blowing gales from a clouded border. The blowing cherubs do not intrude into the oval of the projection, as they did in the first woodblock.

In his map, 

 adds to the contemporary confusion over Taprobana and Ceylon. He depicts a Sumatra-shaped Taprobana on the west side of the Indian subcontinent, 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, which is spelled as ‘Callenzuan’ on Matin Waldseemüller’s 1507 world map and ‘Calensuan’ on Juan Vespucci’s 1524 world map. The origin of this island is unknown, but it may too be a corruption of Ceylon or Sri Lanka.

Münster seems to have hedged his bets and combined the various hypotheses while also placing the East Indies farther west than they really are. He also includes Gilolo, today known as Halmahera, the largest island in the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. The triangular island Porne denotes Borneo.

North America is broken up, with the bulk 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; an unbroken Central America is implied but is not clearly shown thanks to the curve of the projection. North America is labelled ‘Terra Florida’.


 (1488–1552) was a cosmographer and professor of Hebrew who taught at the University of Basel. In 1540, he published ‘

 Universalis Vetus et Nova’, an updated edition of Claudius Ptolemy’s ‘

’ (see SC-A-1540-Munster). Münster wished to improve on the 1535 Latin translation of Willibald Pirckheimer and made a fresh translation from a Greek edition of Ptolemy’s text. In addition to the twenty-seven Ptolemaic maps, Münster added twenty-one modern maps that would greatly influence subsequent atlas makers. This world map, ‘Typus Universalis’, was first published with the 1540 ‘

’ 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 is evident, and Münster most likely had access to the maps and manuscripts of Antonio Pigafetta, partially published in Paris in 1525, as well as Maximilianus Transylvanus’s account of the expedition based on Christopher Haro’s interviews, published in 1523. Other sources include 

’s 1507 world map and the thirteenth-century writings of Marco Polo. 

Münster’s methodology of careful consultation of a variety of sources, old and new, first in his ‘

’ (1540) and later in his ‘Cosmographia’ (1544), would have a deep, long-lasting effect on European geography. This world map was one of the most influential depictions to date and would be studied by 

 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, 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, Marco Polo's travels, 

’s 1507 world map, and traditional Ptolemaic geography.

This map was one of the most influential depictions of the world to date and would be studied by Ortelius, Mercator, and others. It is skillfully engraved and embellished with wonderful windheads, sea monsters, and clouds.

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

Double page oval woodcut map of the world.

Münster’s World Map on an Oval Projection