Bidspirit auction | 1600 GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORIE OF AFRICA

1600 GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORIE OF AFRICA ANTIQUE BY JOANNES LEO AFRICANUS 16TH CENT. - JOANNES LEO AFRICANUS. A GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORIE OF AFRICA. Written in Arabicke and Italian... Translated and collected by John Pory. London: Georg. Bishop. 1600 FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, rare Size 6.5 by 9.5” [8, title and preliminaries], 1-60, 1-420 pages With two portrait engravings separated by tissue guards (bound in but supplied from another the same period book), and woodcut device on title-page. Later plain green binding, spine lettered in gilt. Missing fold-out map, not illustrated, otherwise very good condition First edition in English of the first book on Africa written by an African. Johannes Leo Africanus, whose real name was Hasan ben Mohamed Alfasi, was a geographer and diplomat from Granada. He had traveled all over the Muslim African countries and in 1517 was captured by Christian pirates, who took him and the manuscript of his travels to Rome. There, under the patronage of Pope Leo X, he translated his manuscript into Latin for publication. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All lots are sold ”as-is”, refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions will ship all lots domestically for $25.00 per lot. Combined and international shipping are available. The rates will be provided upon request.