Engraved plate, Discovery of the New World
date: label: Date made
content: 1621
name: label: maker
content: Kilian, Wolfgang
notes: label: Description
content: The engraved copper plate "Discovery of the New World" was used to print illustration number six in <I>Nova Typis Transacta Navigatio</I>, an account of Columbus's expeditions published in Austria in 1621. The plate was engraved by Wolfgang Kilian (1581–1662), one of a distinguished family of artists and engravers from Augsburg, Germany. The scene represents European explorers being welcomed at a feast by Native Americans.
label: Description
content: The publication was dedicated to Caspar Plautius, Abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Seitenstetten, where the book was published. Plautius also has been suggested as the author of the work, which treats the exploration and discovery of the Americas and the role of Benedictine priests as missionaries. The Benedictines, under Father Bernardo Boyl or Buell, were sent by the King of Spain to Christianize the native peoples of the New World. The plate came to the Smithsonian in 1905 from the Seitenstetten monastery, through Prof. P. Joseph Schock. Several impressions were printed from the plate in 1913.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: Austria
topic: label: Subject
content: Exploration and Discovery
label: Subject
content: Indians
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: GA.07252
label: catalog number
content: 07252
label: accession number
content: 45209
objectType: label: Object Name
content: plate
label: Object Name
content: plate, printing
label: Object Type
content: Engraving
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: copper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: plate: 7 in x 11 in; 17.78 cm x 27.94 cm