Cellarius, Andreas

First edition, second issue, large folio (498 x 333mm.), on guards throughout, engraved allegorical title by F.H. van Hoven, woodcut device on letterpress title, and 29 double-page engraved cosmographical charts, CONTEMPORARY HAND-COLOUR, HEIGHTENED IN GOLD, CONTEMPORARY ARMORIAL RED MOROCCO GILT, gilt panelled sides with gilt fleurons in corners of central panel and gilt decorations composed of drawer handle and other tools filling the broad outer frame at the 4 corners, spine gilt with 8 raised bands, title with areas of oxidisation, occasional short tears at lower folds, light marginal spotting or soiling, spine ends repaired, rubbed

Van Reigersberg, of Zeland, arms on upper cover (J.B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, vol.II, p.543); sale, Sotheby's, 18 July 1966, lot 230, £1,200, Edelmann

Koeman IV Cel.1 & 2

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The only celestial atlas published in the Netherlands and an outstanding example of atlas production from the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. Unlike the later celestial atlases, the Cellarius charts demonstrated various ancient and contemporary cosmological ideas, rather than just the names and positions of the stars. The purpose of the book was to assess different attempts to discover the underlying harmony of the universe. The charts represent the highest levels of seventeenth-century astronomical thought, with the diagrams showing aspects of the three great theories on the nature of the universe: the Ptolemaic, the Copernican and the Brahean.