VOSMAER, Arnout.
[Natuurkundige beschryving eener uitmuntende verzameling van zeldsaame gedierten, bestaande in Oost- en Westindische viervoetige dieren, vogelen en slangen, weleer leevend voorhanden geweest zynde, buiten Den Haag, op het Kleine Loo van Z.D.H. den prins van Oranje-Nassau].
Amsterdam, P. Meijer (parts 1- 14 and 29-31) and heirs of P. Meijer and G. Warnars (parts 15-20), 1766-1787. 31 parts in 1 volume. 4to (26.5 x 20.5 cm). With 33 hand-coloured engraved plates and 1 uncoloured folding engraved plate. 19th-century black half morocco, gold-tooled spine. 15; 8; 8; 12; 22; 8; 9; 6; 7; 7; 7; 10; 8; 20; 12; 6; 6; 6; 10; 10; 6; 6; 8; 8; 23; 15; 12; 14; 14; 44; 12 pp.
€ 7,500
A collection of 31 separately published descriptions of exotic animals kept in the menagerie of prince William V. The animals were imported form the East and West Indies, North America, and Africa, and Vosmaer, director of the menagerie, describes some of them here for the first time. The collection consists of 20 papers on mammals, 8 on birds and 3 on reptiles. It "contains many type illustrations" and includes "a noteworthy description of the Orang-outang from Borneo, with two plates" (Wood). Most of the illustrations were engraved by Simon Fokke after designs by Aert Schouman.
The descriptions were separately published without a general title-page (notwithstanding the fact that Nissen's description suggests otherwise). It was only in 1804, when J.B. Elwe reissued the descriptions with 2 new additions, that a general title-page and a frontispiece were added. It also appeared in French as Description d'un recueil exquis d'animaux rares.
A few occasional spots, otherwise in very good condition. Fine bird books, p. 112; Landwehr, Coloured plates 204; Nissen, ZBI 4293; Wood, p. 615; cf. Zimmer, pp. 657-658.
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