SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive regular updates, curated lists, catalogues, and information about fairs and events.

LEO AFRICANUS, Johannes.

Historiale description de l'Afrique,

tierce partie du monde, contenant les royaumes, regions, viles, cités, chateaux et forteresses, iles, fleuves, animaux, tant aquatiques que terrestres, coutumes, loix, religion et façon de faire des habitãs, avec pourtraits de leurs h

Stock Code
101100
Antwerp, Plantin, 1556
£12,500

Scarce early account of North Africa. The first book on Africa written by an African. The woodcut illustrations include personifications of Africa, Arabia, Egypt, Alexandria and the Nile and depictions of camels, veiled women, date palms and crocodiles.Beautifully printed at the Plantin Press.

The author, a well-educated Arabian geographer, was born Al Hassan Ibn Mahommed Al Wezaz Al Fasi, probably in Granada in about 1494. Receiving his education at Fez, he travelled through most of northern Africa between 1507 and 1520. In 1520 he also journeyed to Constantinople and Egypt, only to be captured by pirates and presented to Pope Leo X in Rome, where he converted to Christianity. This work was originally published as part of Ramusio's Delle navigatione et viaggi. It was translated into French by Jean Temporal and published by the translator in Lyon in the same year as this Antwerp edition.

ASK A QUESTION

Description

Second edition in French, 8vo, *, **8, A-Zz8, a-e8, f4, g-i8,[xxxii], 413, [xlviii] pp., woodcut printer's device on title and verso of final leaf, woodcut head-pieces, initials and 20 woodcut illustrations, contemporary ink inscription to foot of title, light water-stain mostly at beginning and end, paper flaw hole to L2 with loss of catchword, short tear to lower margin of Tt2, contemporary limp vellum, lacking ties, an excellent example.

Bibliography

Playfair (Tripoli), 27.

Stock ID:101100

Buy another copy / Sell your copy

If you have a specific question about this book, please complete the form below.
For general enquires contact us
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION

Contact us for more information

+44 (0)20 7493 0876