GREUTER, Matthaeus (1564-1638). [Two sets of globe gores for a Terrestrial and Celestial Globe, 49cm (19-inch) in diameter.] Rome: the Terrestrial dated 1632, the Celestial 1636.

A very rare set of original half-gores for a pair of Greuter's famous globes. Matthaeus Greuter was born in Strasbourg and worked as an engraver in Avignon and Lyon before moving to Rome. He published large maps of that city (1618) and of the whole of Italy (1620 or 1630), and it was in Rome where he began producing globes, starting with the 19-inch terrestrial in 1632. Dedicated to Iacopo Boncompagni (1613-1636), the terrestrial takes its cartography from Willem Blaeu's (1571-1638) 68cm globe of 1622. Greuter, however, does not include the rhumb-lines and his oceans are highly ornate, decorated with several ships and sea-monsters, with only a few wind-roses. The fictitious island of Frisland is given, and North America lacks detail and the Great Lakes are all merged into one, but 'the geographical representations in this region are of special historical interest, as are indeed the geographical records in the several sections of North America, particularly in the South and West' (Stevenson II, p.58).

The celestial was produced four years later in 1636, and Greuter in the cartouche claims that it is based on the work of 'that most eminent Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe'. Brahe (1546-1601) produced the first western star catalogue since antiquity and was visited by Blaeu in 1595. Along with Blaeu, traces of cartography can be seen from both Pieter van der Keere (1571-1646) and Petrus Plancius (1552-1622). '[Greuter] is entitled to rank with the leading globe makers of the Netherlands' (Stevenson, II, p.55).

Rare on the market: the last pair of Greuter globes to sell at auction was at Christie's, 5 Dec 2013, lot 87 (£80,500 https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-pair-of-italian-19-inch-globes-matthus-5759409-details.aspx?from=searchresultsD=5759409 ); but for engraved gore sets the last to appear was at Christie's Rome 15 Dec 1998, lot 483 (25 million Lire).

Tall, narrow folio (433 x 164mm). 48 engraved half-gore sheets, making up two globes, each globe made up of 24 engraved half-gores printed on tall narrow sheets mounted on guards, both globes signed and dated by Greuter in the cartouches (browning and spotting to the northern terrestrial 'Western Europe and Africa' and the celestial 'title cartouche' gore sheets, other sheets with occasional light spotting or staining mostly confined to the blank margins). Modern speckled calf, panelled in antique-style, spine gilt in seven compartments.

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The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

These globe gores are in very good condition, with wear commensurate with age, use and materials. The full condition report is as follows:
Terrestrial northern half gores:
1. North-western America 'Nova Albion' - light marginal stain extending slightly into left-hand side of engraved image, some faint spotting to bottom margin extending just into engraved area.
2. North America 'California' - some light spotting confined to extreme top margin, faint insignificant spotting to bottom margin extending just into engraved area, light finger-soiling to extreme bottom margin.
3. North and Central America 'Sinus Mexicanus' - clean with only faint insignifanct scattered spotting
4. Caribbean and N.E. America 'Nova Francia' - clean
5. Atlantic Ocean - clean, with only the faintest of light soiling
6. Western Africa, Europe & British Isles - evenly browned and soiled with scattered spotting, marginal stain to left-hand side extending into engraved area
7. Central Africa, Europe, Scandinavia - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
8. Arabia, Caucasus, E. Africa - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots, light stain to Mediterranean
9. Central Asia - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
10. Siberia, central China, Indo-China - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
11. China, Korea, Japan, Philippines - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
12. Bering Strait, N. Pacific - clean
Terrestrial southern half gores:
13. Southern Pacific Ocean - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
14. Southern Pacific Ocean - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
15. Southern Pacific Ocean - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
16. South America - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
17. Brazil, River Plate - light dampstain to right-hand margin just extending into engraved area, a few light scattered spots confined to extreme margins
18. Southern Atlantic Ocean, dedicatory cartouche - a few light scattered spots
19. Southern Africa - scattered spotting, hore heavy to northern part of gore, small dampstain to extreme bottom margin
20. Madagascar - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
21. Southern Indian Ocean - a few light scattered spots
22. Java - mostly clean with only a few light scattered spots
23. Indonesian archipelago - some very light spotting mainly confined to just outside the northern plate mark
24. Large cartouche - faintrly browned, a few odd spots
Celestial northern half-gores:
1. A few light scattered spots
2. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
3. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
4. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
5. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
6. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
7. Cartouche, Castor & Pollux - evenly browned a soiled, scattered spotting thoughout, tiny chip to top-right hand corner of sheet
8. Faintly browned, a few scattered light spots
9. A few scattered light spots with a small grouping into extreme northern area of gore, tiny marginal hole at bottom left-hand side at join with guard
10. Mostly clean
11. Mostly clean
12. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
Celestial southern half-gores:
13. A few scattered spots, small brown stain with associated tiny hole to extreme bottom margin
14. A few scattered spots, small brown stain with associated tiny hole to extreme bottom margin
15. A few scattered spots, small brown stain with associated tiny hole to extreme bottom margin
16. A few scattered spots, small brown stain with associated tiny hole to extreme bottom margin
17. A few scattered spots, small brown stain with associated tiny hole to extreme bottom margin
18. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
19. Clean with only a few light scattered spots
20. A few scattered light spots
21. A few scattered light spots
22. A few scattered light spots
23. A few scattered light spots
24. A few scattered light spots

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