1400s Collection (page 9)

Medieval geographer. Artwork of a 15th century geographer using a pair of dividers to measure distances on a terrestrial globe showing the known regions of the Earth

Chinese armada, artwork
Chinese armada. Artwork showing the ships used by a fleet (armada) from China. The most famous of these was the fleet that explored the Indian Ocean and the coasts of South-East Asia between 1405

Ensisheim meteorite fragment. Piece of the Ensisheim meteorite that fell on 7th November 1492. This was the earliest recorded European meteorite

Herbal medicine, 15th century
Herbal medicine. 15th-century manuscript page showing women gathering plants for use in herbal medicine. The text across bottom is in Latin

Zodiacal man, 15th century
Zodiacal man. 15th-century manuscript page showing a human figure labelled with the signs of the zodiac corresponding to parts of the body

John Colet, English humanist
John Colet (1467-1519), English humanist and reformer. Colet was born in London and educated at St. Anthonys School and at Magdalene College, Oxford

15th century surgical equipment, artwork
15th century surgical equipment. Historical artwork titled Armamentarium, showing surgical instruments and an operating table

Inca quipu counting device, artwork
Inca quipu counting device. Artwork of part of an Inca quipu (also spelt khipu). This counting device was used by the Inca people of South America in the 15th and 16th centuries

Columbus monument, Cordoba, Spain. This monument commemorates the May 1486 meeting of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) with Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516)

15th century herb garden, artwork
15th century herb garden. Historical artwork depicting a herb garden at the end of the 15th Century. People can be seen working and relaxing in the garden

William Tyndale, English theologian
William Tyndale (c. 1492-1536). Statue of the English theologian and bible translator William Tyndale. Tyndales was the first English translation to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts

15th century chemistry equipment, artwork. At left is a furnace used for distillation and sublimation. It has bellows on each side and contains two vessels

Constellations, 14th century manuscript. This page is from the manuscript Astronomiae liber sive calendarium, dated 1390-1415

Cosimo de Medici, ruler of Florence
Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), ruler of Florence. Cosimo founded the Medici political dynasty that ruled Florence and wielded great power and influence

Human anatomy, 16th century artwork. This drawing is from the English translation of Trattato dell arte de la pittura, scultura, et architettura (Oxford)

Horse anatomy, 16th century artwork. This drawing is from the English translation of Trattato dell arte de la pittura, scultura, et architettura (Oxford)

Tristao da Cunha, Portuguese explorer
Tristao da Cunha (circa 1460 to circa 1540), Portuguese explorer and admiral, with an elephant in the background. From 1506, his fleet of 15 ships explored the southern Atlantic

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian philosopher
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), Italian philosopher. Machiavellis career was as a civil servant for the Republic of Florence

Hernan Cortes, Spanish conquistador
Hernan Cortes (1485-1547), Spanish explorer and conquistador. Cortes crossed the Atlantic to seek his fortune in Hispaniola and later Cuba. In 1519, he led an expedition to the mainland

Pedro Navarro, Spanish general
Pedro Navarro (circa 1460-1528), count of Olivetto, and Spanish military engineer. Navarro, an expert in mines and blowing up fortifications

Astronomical diagram, 14th century. This page is from the manuscript Astronomiae liber sive calendarium, dated 1390-1415

Genoese world map, 1450
Genoese world map. This world map was drawn in around 1450, possibly by the Italian mathematician, astronomer, and geographer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli (1397-1482)

Leon Battista Alberti, Italian polymath
Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), Florentine artist and polymath. Alberti was born at Genoa and educated at Padua. In 1418 he went to Bologna to study law

Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (1457-1482). Mary was born at Brussels, the only child of Charles the Bold. In 1477 her father died in battle and Mary inherited the very considerable duchy of Burgundy

Theodorus Gaza, Greek humanist
Theodorus Gaza (c.1400-1475), Greek humanist. Gaza was born at Thessaloniki. He moved to Italy in 1430 and taught Greek. He had been involved in various meetings that attempted to reconcile the Greek

Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494), Italian philosopher. Pico was born at mirandola, near Modena, into an aristocratic family. He was a precocious child and was tutored in Latin and Greek

Marsilio Ficino, Italian philosopher
Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), Italian humanist philosopher. Ficino was born near Florence into a physicians family. His father was under the patronage of Cosimo de Medici

Pietro Pomponazzi, Italian philosopher
Pietro Pomponazzi (1462-1525), Italian philosopher. Pomponazzi was born and educated at Mantua. He then went to Padua to study medicine and in 1488 was appointed professor of philosophy

Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch theologian
Desiderius Erasmus (c.1466-1536), Dutch humanist theologian. Born Gerrit Gerritszoon at Gouda, Erasmus was orphaned at the age of 17, and was sent to study in monastic schools

Johannes Trithemius, German polymath
Johannes Trithemius (1462-1516), German abbot and polymath. Born as Johann Heidenberg at Trittenheim, he studied at Heidelberg

Jan Hus, Czech religious reformer
Jan Hus (c.1369-1415), Czech priest and reformer. Hus was born at Husinec in Bohemia. In 1394 Anne of Bohemia, widow of King Richard II of England

Johannes Stabius, Austrian cartographer
Johannes Stabius (1450-1522), Austrian cartographer. Stabius worked in Vienna and was a member of a noted circle of humanist scholars

Alfonso the Magnanimous, King of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous (1396-1458), King of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica. Alfonso was born at Medina del Campo, son of Ferdinand I of Aragon

Johann Faust, German printer
Johann Fust (c.1400-1466), German printer. Fust came from a wealthy family in Mainz. Fust was associated with Johann Gutenberg

Rodolphus Agricola, Dutch humanist
Rodolphus Agricola (1443-1485), Dutch humanist scholar. Agricola was born Roelof Huusman near Groningen and was eductade there at at Louvain

CANTERBURY TALES. A page from the Lansdowne manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales, c1410

A COURT FOOL. After an illumination from a 15th century French manuscript

PROY2A-00029
Henry the Navigator in armor. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a contemporary portrait

PROY2A-00176
English kings Henry VII (left), Henry VI (center), and the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk (rear). Antique hand-colored print

PSCI2A-00051
Copernicus studying the night sky. Hand-colored halftone of a 19th century illustration

PBIB2A-00026
The Nativity of Jesus. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a painting by Bernadino Luini

PBIB2A-00003
Mary the Virgin, Queen of Heaven, presiding over an assembly of saints. 19th-century color lithograph reproduction of a 15th-century painting

NATI2D-00508
Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly, home of Na ashje ii Asdzua ( Spider Woman) who taught the Navajo people to weave. Digital photograph

NATI2D-00080
Ruins of Tuonyi, an Ancient Puebloan / Anasazi village in Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico. Digital photograph

PART2A-00063
Leonardo da Vincis backward handwriting on his design for a lamp using a globe filled with water. 19th-century woodcut reproduction with a watercolor wash

PBIB2A-00022
Group of angels. Hand-colored engraving of a detail of a fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli, Medici-Riccardi Palace, Florence

GMDE2A-00012
Conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, 1453. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Erasmus
Portrait of the Dutch philosopher, Erasmus. Digitally colored engraving

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Step back in time to the 1400s, a period filled with intrigue, innovation, and artistic brilliance. Leonardo da Vinci's fascination with anatomy led him to meticulously study the intricacies of the human skull. His detailed drawings continue to captivate us today. Meanwhile, in medieval Spain and Portugal, kingdoms were expanding their territories and shaping history. The map of this era reveals the shifting borders and political landscape that defined these nations. Innovation was on the rise as Johannes Gutenberg introduced his revolutionary printing press in the 1450s. This invention would forever change communication by making books more accessible to a wider audience. The Battle of Agincourt loomed large in 1415 as English and French forces prepared for an epic clash during the Hundred Years War. Longbowmen stood ready, their deadly accuracy poised to make a significant impact on this historic battle. Amidst all this turmoil, life continued its course. Ladies in Florence embraced Renaissance ideals as they sought knowledge and indulged in artistry that marked this vibrant period of cultural rebirth. Across Europe, Angevin kings held vast territories both in France and Britain. Their power stretched across borders as they navigated complex alliances and rivalries that shaped dynastic politics. Within castle walls like those found at the Tower of London during the late Middle Ages, lavish dining rooms hosted feasts fit for royalty. These grand halls witnessed both celebrations and secret conversations that influenced destinies. Yet not all discoveries were made within European realms alone; trephination evidence discovered within an Inca skull highlights ancient medical practices from South America—a testament to humanity's quest for understanding even centuries ago. As we delve into history's tapestry woven with diverse threads such as GEUR2A-00057 or NATL2A-00001—codes representing artifacts from different eras—we are reminded of our shared past while marveling at how far we have come since those fateful 1400s.