A very rare 16th-century atlas linked to Mary I of England Tudor returns to the international market, capturing the attention of collectors, scholars, and public institutions.
Why is Mary I Tudor’s atlas coming to the market now?
At this year’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair, the specialized gallery Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc., based in San Diego, will present a rediscovered 460-year-old copy of Anglica Historia by Polidoro Virgilio, in the form of an atlas.
The volume belonged to Mary I Tudor, the first female sovereign of England, and is offered with an asking price of 1.6 million dollars. The dealer describes it as “the most significant artifact of Tudor intellectual history still in private hands.”
That said, the purchase comes with specific conditions: an export ban requires the future owner to keep it in the United Kingdom or allow its potential acquisition by a British institution.
What is the recent history of this volume?
Barry Lawrence Ruderman acquired the atlas at its debut in auction two years ago, paying 227,000 dollars against a maximum estimate of 20,000 pounds (about 40,059 dollars).
“I was ready to spend much more,” stated Alex Clausen, president of the company. Compared to other copies of the work, the one linked to the queen stands out for the combination of royal provenance and extraordinary material quality.
Additionally, the volume features a lavish gilded apparatus attributed to the mysterious Medallion Binder, which frames the coat of arms with Mary’s monogram, also known as “Bloody Mary.” This gives a rare secular book in the collection of the devout Catholic sovereign a strong religious connotation.
What makes the globes contained in the atlas unique?
A crucial element of the atlas is the first known autonomous depictions of the British Isles and related areas, considered precursors to the future imperial ambitions of the Crown.
The descriptive sheet emphasizes that, by presenting each territory as a distinct subject and not as part of a unified whole, the maps suggest the emerging idea of a British domain in expansion and by degrees.
Moreover, the level of detail, unprecedented for the time, testifies to England’s growing attention to its own defense in the decades preceding the Spanish Armada. This makes the document a key piece for understanding the formation of English geopolitical identity.
What is the editorial context of the Anglica Historia?
Polidoro Virgilio, an Italian priest, published three editions of the Anglicae Historiae, a work that reconstructs the history of his adopted homeland. The first appeared in 1534, the second in 1546, the third in 1555.
This last edition, expanded to include the most recent events up to the figure of Henry VIII, father of Mary I, was printed in dozens of copies in Basel. However, only the queen’s copy is accompanied by maps.
Clausen estimates that even the best copies without the maps today would not exceed 5,000-10,000 dollars. This results in a significant value gap compared to the piece linked to the Tudor court.
How was the provenance of the atlas reconstructed?
According to Clausen, the increase in valuation compared to the previous sale depends on the research work carried out by his team on the provenance, a true “intellectual added value.”
The family that consigned the volume to auction had owned it since the 19th century, possibly even earlier. Over time the surname changed, but archival investigations allowed for the reconstruction of a chain of ownership.
Additionally, Clausen links the book to Sir John Fortescue, second cousin of the successor and half-sister of Mary, Elizabeth I. Fortescue taught Latin to the future queen and managed her library after her death, distributing manuscripts to figures who would contribute to the birth of the British Library and the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
Who created the maps and why can’t the atlas leave the United Kingdom?
The material author of the maps remains unknown. The style suggests a cartographer probably relocated to England from the Netherlands or Spain, capable of quickly learning local needs.
This makes the atlas not only a book artifact but also a testimony to the dialogue between European cartographic cultures in the mid-16th century, a crucial period for maritime expansion.
That said, the volume is subject to an export ban by British authorities. Whoever purchases it in the spring will therefore have to keep it on national territory or make it available for possible acquisition by a public museum or library in the United Kingdom.
What is the role of the New York Antiquarian Book Fair?
The New York Antiquarian Book Fair is held at the Park Avenue Armory, at 643 Park Ave, New York, from April 3 to May 3. The event is considered one of the most important appointments for the international market of ancient books.
Moreover, the presence of such a significant specimen, with an asking price of 1.6 million dollars, confirms the growing interest of collectors in documents related to the early modern age and the formation of European powers.
Overall, this atlas represents a rare crossroads between dynastic history, early cartography, the global antiquarian market, and heritage protection policies, making its eventual arrival in a major public collection likely.
“`Image: Atlas of Mary I Tudor. Photo courtesy of Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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