'First atlas of the entire celestial sphere' priced £20,000

Dominic Winter's forthcoming Book Sale is scheduled for April 7m and will feature a number of exceptional items for rare books and manuscripts collectors.

Among the sale's anticipated highlights is Johann Bayer's Uranometria, omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa, Ulm, Johannis Gorlini.

Bayer's Uranometria (first published in 1603) was the first atlas to cover the entire celestial sphere.


Bayer's Uranometria: the copy for sale is from 1661

Dated to 1661, this copy features a number of hand-coloured engravings to illustrate its allegorical title, among them 51 hand-coloured copper star chart engravings by Alexander Mair.

The 18th book has re-backed, but still features its original spine. There have been some repairs to the edges of the covers, but this edition could still prove quite an investment.

It carries a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-20,000.

 

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