167. Bünting, Heinrich: Itinerarium sacrae scripturae...

Helmstadt, 1581. Jacobus Lucius Siebenbürger ny. (16)+318+(20)+(8)+145+(11)p.
The first edition of Protestant theologian Heinrich Bünting’s highly influential work „Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae” – one of the most renowned and sought-after works of 16th-century cartographic literature. The printer of the work – Jacobus Lucius – was a Transylvanian Saxon born in Brassó.
The work presents the locations and events of the Holy Scripture within geographical, historical, and theological frameworks, offering one of the most comprehensive syntheses of its time. Following the routes of figures from both the Old and New Testaments, it combines scholarly ambition with a didactic and visual approach. The structure reflects the biblical division: the first part deals with Old Testament geography, while the second focuses on the journeys of Christ and the Apostles (and accordingly contains only two maps). The volume contains seven maps (all but two double-page), supplemented by two bird’s-eye views, including representations of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon. The woodcut maps and illustrations assist the interpretation of the text by situating biblical events within a geographical context. The map fields are richly embellished with sea monsters, mermaids, ships as well as occasional biblical scenes and small city views.
The most famous and frequently reproduced image in the work is the world map depicting the three Ptolemaic continents in the form of a cloverleaf, with Jerusalem at its centre. The motif refers simultaneously to the iconography of the Holy Trinity and – as the title emphasises – to the coat of arms of Hanover, so the map can also be interpreted as a personal tribute to the author’s hometown. The central composition omits three regions: England, Scandinavia, and America. Although the American continent is already indicated, it appears only at the margin of the map, bearing the inscription “Die Newe Welt”. In contrast, the second world map presents a more realistic rendering in line with contemporary geographical knowledge, including the naming of several major cities. In the lower right corner – in the region corresponding to Australia – an additional landmass appears, labelled by Bünting as “India Meridionalis”.
The Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae is a key work of early modern Protestant culture, published in more than sixty editions between 1581 and 1757. Its maps are fine examples of the intertwining of cartography, theology, and art, and remain iconic documents of the 16th-century worldview to this day. Several sets of woodblocks were produced for the woodcut illustrations; the first is the block set for the Helmstadt edition. The work was later also published in Magdeburg as well, where re-engraved blocks were used. Most of the maps currently available on the antiquarian trade originate from these Magdeburg editions.
Contemporary, blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, with the remnants of clasps. Leaves darkened; the maps (with the exception of one in the second part) and the vertical margins of the first four gatherings restored; approximately one-fifth of the map of the Land of Canaan has been replaced. With a larger ink stain affecting several leaves (pp. 161-176).
VD16 B 9159.; Shirley: 142, 143.
 
Starting price: 2 000 000 Ft