CABINET OF NATURAL CURIOSITIES: LOCUPLETISSIMI RERUM NATURALIUM THESAURI 1734 - 1765...

(1734/65) 2006 new edition. Large heavy folio (230 x 340mm). Pp415,ill. Full-page colour natural history plates throughout. Pictorial laminated boards.

"...A selection of the most important plates from the copy in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague". Albertus Seba (1665-1736) of Amsterdam amassed an enormous collection of natural history specimens from all parts of the world. At the end of his life he had illustrations for publication made from his collection. Ironically, his collection was sold off posthumously to finance completion of this book. All 449 plates from the original edition are reproduced here in large format, in colour. The book is introduced with a twenty-nine page essay assessing the background to Seba's work and its historical importance. An astonishing book, accurately illustrating thousands of species of plants, mammals, reptiles, fish and shellfish and insects. Very good on seashells, moths, butterflies and insects. The picture captions of this edition give the modern vernacular names of the species, rather than Seba's captions. TASCHEN published the first edition in German in 2001 as, Das Naturalienkabinett:.. . Seba's original work appeared in stages between 1734 and 1765, entitled, Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata description et iconibus artificiosissimis expressio, per universam physices historiam.