Item #179 Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam. Philipp Clüver.
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam
Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam

Introductio in Universam Geographiam, tam Veterem, quam Novam

Publisher: Amsterdam: Apud Viduum Ioannis Libert, 1648.

Illustration: Engraved title page; folding diagram (“Schema incolarum terrae”)

Edition: Amsterdam, 1648 edition (enlarged and corrected)

Binding: Contemporary speckled calf, gilt-tooled spine in compartments, raised bands, red-sprinkled edges. Worn with loss at head and foot of spine, joints cracked, corners rubbed.

Description: Important 17th-century Amsterdam edition of Philipp Clüver’s Introductio in Universam Geographiam, a landmark in the history of geography. First printed in 1624, the Introductio became the standard geographical textbook for European universities, running through dozens of editions into the 18th century.

This 1648 printing by the widow of Ioannes Libert features a handsome engraved allegorical title and a folding diagram illustrating the earth’s climatic zones and antipodes. The work synthesizes ancient geographical authorities with modern discoveries, making it a cornerstone in the intellectual shift from medieval cosmography to modern geography.

The book traces not only the lands of the classical world but also incorporates accounts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, reflecting Europe’s growing engagement with global exploration. Its emphasis on both classical learning and new scientific observation made it a fixture of humanist libraries across the continent.

This copy, though worn, retains its contemporary binding and 17th-century features, including early provenance inscriptions (1737, Sangnier), linking it to documented ownership history.

A significant acquisition for collectors of early geography, cartography, scientific revolution texts, or Amsterdam imprints, offering a direct connection to how Europe conceptualized the world during the Age of Discovery.

Condition: Fair. Contemporary speckled calf, rubbed and worn, spine chipped at extremities, joints cracked but holding. Red-sprinkled edges visible. Textblock sound, light toning, scattered foxing. Folding diagram intact and crisp. Early ownership inscriptions on endpapers (“Sangnier,” dated 1737).

Annotation: Influential Amsterdam edition of Clüver’s Introductio in Universam Geographiam (1648), with engraved title and folding diagram. A key geographical text, combining classical and modern knowledge, here preserved in a contemporary binding with early provenance.

Item #179

Price: $1,100.00

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