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Medium:  Hand-colored woodblock-printed double-sided page. German text and a small woodcut on verso.

Sebastian Munster (1489 - 1552) was one of the three most renowned cartographers of the sixteenth century, along with Mercator and Ortelius. Sebastian Munster probably had more influence in spreading geographical knowledge throughout Europe in the mid-sixteenth century than any of his contemporaries. Munster's Geographia and Cosmographia Universalis were two of the most widely read and influential books of the period. Munster's major work, the Cosmographia, was published in nearly 30 editions in six languages between 1544 and 1578 and then was revised and reissued by Sebastian Petri from 1588 to 1628. 

About the condition: Why is 300-600 year old paper often in better condition than paper from 50 years ago? In other words, what makes some papers deteriorate rapidly and other papers deteriorate slowly? Before the mid-19th century, western paper was made from cotton and linen clothing rags low in acids and iron-containing minerals and by a process that largely preserved the long fibers of the raw material. While fibers may shorten with age, rag papers tend to remain strong and durable, especially if they have been made with low acid materials and stored properly in conditions with low humidity and under cooler temperatures. 

Size: app. 8.5" x 13"