Historiae Naturalis de Avibus

Descripción: Johann Jacob Schipper, 1657, 1655., Amsterdam:, 1657. Second Edition. 375 x 241 mm (14 3/4 x 9 1/2"). 6, [2], 163, [1], 160, 158, [12], 160, [8], 147, [1] pp. Six separately published works bound in one volume. Fine contemporary blindstamped pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, covers with multiple plain rule and decorative roll frames, central panel with large fleuron centerpiece and floral cornerpieces, raised bands, old paper title label, two brass and leather fore-edge clasps (hardware of one fastener detached but present). With two woodcut title vignettes, four engraved titles, one engraved additional title, and 250 FINE ENGRAVED ZOOLOGICAL PLATES (one more than called for in Nissen--see below) after Matthaeus Merian the younger, Caspar Merian and others. Front pastedown with early libary label of Hagenberg Schlossbibliothek, armorial bookplate of Philip Howard of Norfolk and engraved bookplate of Oliver Howard (see below). Nissen ZBI 2131, 2133, 2134; 2132, and 2135; Wood, p. 409; Anker 235. Boards with insignificant smudges and a sprinkling of minute rust-colored dots, half a dozen tiny wormholes to spine, but the original binding entirely solid, extremely bright and clean, and (except for the damaged clasp) with almost no wear. Overall yellowing to a few plates, single minor wormhole at inner margin of fifth and sixth works and part of the fourth (with no significant effect on the text), other trivial defects, but still A FINE COPY, the leaves consistently clean and crisp, and THE ATTRACTIVE PLATES QUITE FRESH AND RICH. First issued in Frankfort in 1650-57, this famous compendium of the animal kingdom was considered the standard zoological encyclopedia of its era, combining works on quadrupeds, birds, insects, aquatic life, and reptiles, bound here in one massive volume containing 250 fine folio-sized plates, most of them with several figures each. Finely engraved, carefully detailed, and often featuring a touch of whimsy, these are among the most pleasing zoological plates produced in the 17th century. Mythical animals such as the griffin, the phoenix, and a variety of unicorns are pictured alongside real creatures, some of which no doubt seemed equally improbable to 17th century Europeans. Our copy contains one plate not recorded in Nissen: Plate XLVIII in the section on fish, with pictures of a narwhal, containing details of its skull and horn. Of Scottish extraction but born in Poland, Jonston (1603-75) was a physician and compiler whose extensive publications made significant contributions to the growing interest in natural history during his lifetime. Although representing more compilation than discovery--and particularly drawing on the works of Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605)--the books were important because of the considerable interest they aroused. This kind of beautiful picture book would normally have encountered heavy use, often among the less careful, and engravings would have frequently been harvested from this work to be sold individually; consequently, although copies of Jonston do show up with some frequency, they are almost never in condition approaching what is seen here. Former owner Philip Howard was a member of the ancient and powerful noble family who held the dukedom of Norfolk, the arms of which appear on his bookplate. A later owner, Oliver Howard (1905-61), was a bookseller and managing director of Bernard Quaritch. A tiny notation on his bookplate seems to indicate that he purchased the book at Sotheby's in 1928. Nº de ref. de la librería ST11911