Detail View: JCB Archive of Early American Images: [Native Americans ride a manatee]

Accession number: 
04056
Record number: 
04056-14
JCB call number: 
J621 P565 / 1-SIZE (copy 2)
Image title: 
[Native Americans ride a manatee]
Place image published: 
[Linz]
Image date: 
[1621]
Image function: 
plate; following p. 60
Technique: 
engraving
Image dimension height: 
17 cm.
Image dimension width: 
28.4 cm.
Page dimension height: 
31.3 cm.
Page dimension width: 
19.5 cm.
Materials medium: 
ink
Materials support: 
paper
Languages: 
Latin
Description: 
Observed by Europeans, native Americans ride on a sea monster or manatee while in the background others capture another sea creature and turtle.
Source creator: 
Philoponus, Honorius
Source Title: 
Nova typis transacta navigatio ...
Source place of publication: 
Linz
Source date: 
1621
notes: 
First mentioned by Pietro Martire d'Anghiera, De orbe novo (book 1, cap. 8), the manatee derived its name from the Spanish word for hands (manos). This manatee is an anecdotal interpretation of López de Gómara's description of an animal which would let boys and men ride on its back. Wolfgang Kilian (1581-1662), an Augsburg printmaker, is presumed to be the artist for all the images in this book not obviously derived from the Petits Voyages and Grands Voyages of Theodor de Bry. Honorius Philoponus is a pseudonym, probably for Caspar Plautius to whom this book is dedicated. Image placed horizontally on page.
Time Period: 
1601-1650
References: 
Moffitt, J. F. & S. Sebastián, O Brave New People, p. 245-246
Provenance/Donor: 
Acquired before 1900.
Owner and copyright: 
©John Carter Brown Library, Box 1894, Brown University, Providence, R.I. 02912
geographic area: 
Spanish America
Subject Area: 
Artifacts, industry, and human activities
Subject Area: 
Flora and fauna
Subject Area: 
Indigenous peoples
Subject headings: 
Indians of South America