Központi Antique Book Shop

152. könyvárverés

Extremely rare, northeast-southwest oriented map of Hungary by anonymous maker. As the 16th-century edition of the Lazarus map, it is one of the earliest and most beautiful Hungarian maps that are available for collectors. The first printed map of Hungary Cartographically based on Tabula Hungariae, composed – according to its cartouche text – by „Lazarus, secretary of Tamas (Bakocz), Archbishop of Esztergom” and printed in 1528 in Ingolstadt at Johannes Cuspinianus’ expense in Petrus Apianus’ workshop. During her research, Katalin Plihal, PhD has found data in archived documents that show similarities with known sources about the mapmaker and suggest that the name of the mysterious „Lazarus secretarius” could be Lazarus Tinody. The precision of the depiction implies that its creation was preceded by on-site measurements. The original sheet represents a milestone from the perspective of printing technology as well: with the new method called stereotype, the woodblock was complemented with leaden words, thereby speeding up its production. 16th-century editions The tastefully engraved work drew the attention of several publishers, thus, various copies had been published throughout Europe. These did not adhere to the original – 4-sheet – size, but they are among the most extraordinary rarities up to this day. The earliest among these is the 1553 sheet linked to Giovanni Andrea Vavassore and Matteo Pagano, published in Venice, from which 2 copies are known. Chronologically one of the second versions was created by Pirro Ligorio, issued in 1558 and 1589 (some copies have remained only from the second issue). The maker of the other version is unknown, it was published in Antonio Lafreri’s atlases between 1558 and 1602 (5 variants are identified), our item is one of these. The last ones in the row are the 1566 Viennese sheets by Janos Zsamboky. The Lafreri variants The engraving was first published with the 1558 date, its only copy is in the possession of the British Museum. The second, modified version – with the date 1559 in its cartouche – is also rare, but probably has the most known copies (can be found in some public collections – National Széchényi Library, Vatican, British Library – and has already appeared on auction). The British Library alone has the third type, in the nomenclature of which the Latin name of Pécs („Quinque Ecclesiae”) can be read. The fourth variant could have been made after 1577, when following Lafreri’s death, his cousin, Claudio Duchetti took over his place. Keeping the date, the block was resigned („Rome Claudij Duchetti formis”), and similarly to earlier ones was placed in composite atlases. The last prints are linked to Giovanni Orlandi’s name, who distributed them with expanded title field („Joannes Orlandi formis Ro[mae] 1602”). The finely engraved work had been composed with great expertise and carefulness. Cartographically it is one of the most precise depictions of the age, although the cardinal direction signs on the frame are inaccurate, therefore, the sheet has to be rotated by 45 degrees. In the lower left quarter of the map field, Ferdinand I’s crowned coat of arms can be found – with a nautical chart divider and linear scale under it –, and on the right side the title-field is set in a cartouche, the almost empty frame of which offered numerous possibilities for modifications in new editions. Our item – the fourth variant of the Lafreri-plate – is extremely rare: its only known other copy can be found in the Map Collection of the National Széchényi Library. Dimensions: 465 x 390 mm. Fine, clear copy.