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Details
GESNER, Conrad (1516-1565). Thierbuch. -Vogelbuch. -Fischbuch. Translated from Latin into German by Conrad Forer (vols. I and III), and Rudolf Heüsslin (vol. II). Zurich: Christopher Froschauer, 1563, 1557, 1563. 3 volumes in one, 2° (377 x 243mm). Profusely illustrated with over 1060 woodcut illustrations coloured by a contemporary hand with silver heightening. (Apparently lacking 2 preliminary leaves in the Thierbuch and 4 leaves at the end of the Vögelbuch, silver oxidised, first title mounted, 5 leaves defective, tears into text in about 17 leaves, numerous small marginal tears, most repaired, some light browning and spotting, waterstain in upper inside corner, heavier at beginning and end, first and last few quires reinforced at hinge.) Contemporary gilt-tooled calf over bevelled wooden boards, wide roll border, central panel with corner fleurons, upper cover lettered 'Thierbuch', edges gilt and gauffered (worn, rebacked preserving original backstrip and re-edged, without two fore-edge clasps).
A COMPLETE SET FINELY COLOURED OF THE FIRST GERMAN EDITIONS of Gesner's encyclopaedic work on quadrupeds, fish, and birds, which remained a standard reference work until Linneaus in the early 18th century. Considered one of the fathers of zoology and called the 'German Pliny', Gesner set out to rationalise the animal kingdom in the way that his contemporaries Brunfels, Bock and Fuchs had done for botany. Few coloured copies survive, and probably relatively few were ever coloured, owing to the high price of colouring over 1000 woodcuts in the work. Coloured copies of the Vögelbuch, for instance, at the time of publication cost five times more than uncoloured copies (6 fl. vs. 1 fl. 1 sch., cf. Nissen), and Nissen has noted that the large majority of copies today are uncoloured. The colouring is occasionally heightened with silver, notably to reproduce iridescence inside shells. Nissen, perhaps mistakenly, calls for 6 preliminary leaves in the Thierbuch, 5 (not 6 as here) in the Fischbuch, and 4 final leaves in the Vögelbuch. Nissen ZBI 1552, 1555; Nissen IVB 350; PMM (Latin eds.) 77; Wood (Vögel) p.356.
A COMPLETE SET FINELY COLOURED OF THE FIRST GERMAN EDITIONS of Gesner's encyclopaedic work on quadrupeds, fish, and birds, which remained a standard reference work until Linneaus in the early 18th century. Considered one of the fathers of zoology and called the 'German Pliny', Gesner set out to rationalise the animal kingdom in the way that his contemporaries Brunfels, Bock and Fuchs had done for botany. Few coloured copies survive, and probably relatively few were ever coloured, owing to the high price of colouring over 1000 woodcuts in the work. Coloured copies of the Vögelbuch, for instance, at the time of publication cost five times more than uncoloured copies (6 fl. vs. 1 fl. 1 sch., cf. Nissen), and Nissen has noted that the large majority of copies today are uncoloured. The colouring is occasionally heightened with silver, notably to reproduce iridescence inside shells. Nissen, perhaps mistakenly, calls for 6 preliminary leaves in the Thierbuch, 5 (not 6 as here) in the Fischbuch, and 4 final leaves in the Vögelbuch. Nissen ZBI 1552, 1555; Nissen IVB 350; PMM (Latin eds.) 77; Wood (Vögel) p.356.
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