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Source Description
Simple map-like diagrams, known as T-O world maps, reflect a medieval European world view. These simple drawings portray the Earth's land masses as a circle surrounded by water. The land is separated into three parts, demarcated by a T or a Tau cross, suggesting that Christ's head (or Jerusalem) was the center of the universe. The horizontal arms represent the Nile and Don Rivers, while the vertical arm is the Mediterranean. Oriented with East at the top, Asia occupies the top half of the circle, while Europe and Africa occupy the two bottom quarters. In addition, the continents are often, as in this example, identified with Noah's three sons -- Shem, Japeth, and Ham. Originally conceived by Isidore, Bishop of Seville, in the early 7th century, such a diagram was included in his manuscript encyclopedia which was based primarily on classical authors, but also reflected the beginnings of Christian scholarship. Isidore's text and image were first printed in 1472. Shown here, is a version of the T-O diagram that appeared in the 1483 edition of Isidore's encyclopedia.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
q524n595p
label
Unsigned and untitled T-O world map
core
obj
dtoType
map
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
q524n595p
contentType
map
stage
normalized
title
Unsigned and untitled T-O world map
description
Simple map-like diagrams, known as T-O world maps, reflect a medieval European world view. These simple drawings portray the Earth's land masses as a circle surrounded by water. The land is separated into three parts, demarcated by a T or a Tau cross, suggesting that Christ's head (or Jerusalem) was the center of the universe. The horizontal arms represent the Nile and Don Rivers, while the vertical arm is the Mediterranean. Oriented with East at the top, Asia occupies the top half of the circle, while Europe and Africa occupy the two bottom quarters. In addition, the continents are often, as in this example, identified with Noah's three sons -- Shem, Japeth, and Ham. Originally conceived by Isidore, Bishop of Seville, in the early 7th century, such a diagram was included in his manuscript encyclopedia which was based primarily on classical authors, but also reflected the beginnings of Christian scholarship. Isidore's text and image were first printed in 1472. Shown here, is a version of the T-O diagram that appeared in the 1483 edition of Isidore's encyclopedia.
date
["1483"]
year
1483
rights
No known copyright restrictions.
rightsUri
No known restrictions on use.
reuseAllowed
no restrictions
language
Latin
identifierLocal
05_01_000231
creators
Isidore, of Seville, Saint, -636
Löslein, Peter, active 1476-approximately 1487
institution
Boston Public Library
collections
Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection
subjects
World maps
subjectsGeographic
World
genreBasic
Maps
typeOfResource
Cartographic
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
pageCount
1
source
import
pubPlace
Venice
publisher
Peter Löslein
Source extras
institutionArkId
sf268508b
collectionArkId
41688024w
extent
1 map ; on page 44 x 30 cm
notes
Published in ''Etymologiae'' (Venice, 1483).
hasTranscription
no
dcId
q524n595p
type
map
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4532310a6823dba0