He is now best known for his erdapfel, the worlds oldest surviving globe, which he produced for the imperial. This is the only glove which survived until the 21st century, represented the world known in the year 1492. Martin behaim, the father, had many businesses including some in venice, and later. He served joao ii of portugal as an adviser in matters of navigation and participated in a voyage to west africa. Concept and content were provided by the widely travelled nuremberg cloth merchant and seafarer martin behaim 14591507.
The globe shows the european continent dominating the majority of the globe, with a wide ocean separating europe from asia. The globe was made between 1492 and 1494 for the nuremberg city council. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
The erdapfel is the oldest surviving terrestrial globe. Martin behaim, his life and his globe unknown binding 1908. In 1492, while he was at nuremberg, behaim made the wellknown globe, probably with the scientific help of hartmann schedel, the nuremberg. Handel trade, with caduceus, cornucopia and anchor. Behaim, a german, was a wellknown geographer, merchant, mariner, and. The globe now resides in the rare book division there.
The erdapfel is a terrestrial globe produced by martin behaim from 1490 1492. Its filled with mythical places, like the isle of st. Behold the erdapfel, the worlds oldest surviving globe. It was produced by german geographer and explorer martin behaim. Martin behaim 14591507 fashioned a globe depicting the known world in 1492. Made just prior to the discovery of the americas, it gives a very clear and fascinating insight into what the 15thcentury intelligentsia of europe believed, not only from a cartographic standpoint but also because the surface of the globe is covered in illustrations and inscriptions taken. In the twentyfirst century the restored globe remained on display at nuremberg, and is the oldest surviving relic of its kind on earth. The globe shows an enlarged eurasian continent and an empty ocean between europe and asia. One globe that intrigues many because of its age and uniqueness of construction is the erdapfel, german for earth apple.
The map was drawn on paper, which was pasted on a layer of parchment around the globe. It doesnt show the americas on it, because columbus hadnt returned yet when it was made. His influence on the great discoverers of his time was formerly much overestimated. Brendan cape verde is misplaced by hundreds of miles. It shows the world according to ptolemy and other sources, before the discovery of america by columbus in the same year as the globe was made, 1492. Behaim s 1492 globe is consistent with christopher columbuss perspective of the earth. Also called the behaim globe, the construction of the erdapfel is credited to the 15th century polymath martin behaim. Credit for its creation goes to martin behaim, a polymath of his day who knew a lot about geography and philosophyand was also skilled as a salesperson. Martin behaim, the father, had many businesses including some in venice, and.
Martin behaim october 6, 1459 july 29, 1507, german. Worlds oldest surviving terrestrial globe geography realm. Displaying the precolumbian image of the earth, the behaim globe is a cartographical masterpiece of german humanism in the renaissance age. Draw from book enciclopedia autodidactica published in 1954. The behaim family had immigrated to nuremberg because of religious persecution around 916. The overall paper size is inches and the image size is inches. This is the worlds oldest surviving terrestrial globe. Fine facsimile of the oldest surviving terrestrial globe.
Bronze statue of behaim with sword and his terrestrial globe of 1492 erdapfel, on a richly decorated sandstone pedestal, with on the sides two bronze seated figures. It is constructed of a laminated linen ball in two halves, reinforced with wood and overlaid with a map painted by georg glockendon. The globe shows the world as it was known in 1492 when it was created by martin behaim. The erdapfel, or earth apple in german, shows what people in the 1400s knew and thought of the world around them. How globes showed the earth was round way before 1492.
View the book martin behaim, his life and his globe 1908, available at the history archive now. From the book life of christopher columbus by clements r. Today it is one of the most attractive objects in the collections of the germanisches nationalmuseum in nuremberg. Martin behaim project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. He studied possibly under regiomontanus astronomy, navigation, and mathematics. Illustration from geschichte des seefahrers ritter martin behaim by friedrich wilhlem ghillany, 1853. His life and his globe pereira of the bibliotheca nacional for valuable informa tion, but none bearing upon behaim s scientific labours. Martin behaim s 1492 globe, or erdapfel earthapple, is our earliest surviving terrestrial globe. Martin behaims globe 1492 detail from behaim s globe showing african rulers, redrawn in the facsimile below 1492 martin behaim ca.
Martin behaim, eastern hemisphere of his globe made in nuremberg in 1492. Martin behaim is at work making a globe of the world in nuremberg. It exists in only one manuscript copy painted by georg glockendon, held nuremberg, germany. The oldest terrestrial globe erdapfel earth apple, made. In the twentyfirst century the restored globe remained on display at nuremberg, and is the oldest surviving relic of it. Martin behaim is remembered as a great mathematician and an astronomer who created the nuremberg terrestrial globe under the patronage of king john ii. The behaim globe can be described as having an apparent influence from ptolemys representation of africa and incorporates marco polos voyages as well as. A rare piece of antiquity the worlds oldest globe dates. The erdapfel or earth apple produced by martin behaim in 1492 is considered to be the oldest surviving terrestrial globe. Martin behaim s erdapfel is the oldest surviving globe in the world p. The americas are not included, as columbus returned to spain no sooner than march 1493. Bnk4y4 from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Martin behaim, his life and his globe 1908 history archive. Martin behaim distinguished himself as a skilled mathematician and astronomer during the late fifteenth century.
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