[Rarebooks] FS: Unicorns, Dragons, and such: 17th Century Illustrated Natural History

[Charles Agvent]

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JONSTON, Johannes. HISTORIAE NATURALIS DE QUADRUPEDIBUS. [bound with] DE 
PISCIBUS ET CETIS. [bound with] DE EXANGUIBUS AQUATICIS. [bound with] DE 
AVIBUS. [bound with] DE INSECTIS. [bound with] DE SERPENTIBUS. 
Amsterdam: J. J. Schipper, 1657 & 1665. Second Edition. Folio (9-1/2" x 
15") masterfully bound in recent full vellum lettered in brown on the 
spine with new endpapers. Six parts in one, four with an engraved title 
page and two with woodcut title vignettes: DE QUADRUPEDIBUS (1657), 
[3]-6, [2], 163, [1] pages; DE PISCIBUS ET CETIS (1657), [1]-5, [3], 160 
pages; DE EXANGUIBUS AQUATICIS (1665), 58, [2] pages; DE AVIBUS (1657), 
[12], 160 pages; DE INSECTIS (1657), [8], 147, [1] pages; DE SERPENTIBUS 
(1665), 37, [1] pages. Jonston's complete and comprehensive compilation 
of the animal kingdom lavishly illustrated with hundreds of engraved 
figures, many fanciful or imaginary, many the work of the great German 
artist Matthew Merian. This copy with 243 of 250 plates (249 called 
for), most with several figures each, including 79 of 80 in the 
Quadrupedibus section (lacking plate 49); 48 of 47 in the Piscibus et 
cetis section (includes one plate not recorded in Nissen: plate 48 with 
images of a narwhal, containing details of its skull and horn); 19 of 20 
in the Exanguibus aquaticis section (lacking plate 3); 57 of 62 in the 
Avibus section (lacking plates 11, 13, 29, 30, and 34); 28 of 28 in the 
Insectis section; and 12 of 12 in the Serpentibus et Draconibus section. 
Anker 235; Graesse III, 477; Nissen ZBI 2131, 2133, 2134; 2132, and 
2135; Wood, page 409. An important and wonderfully illustrated work on 
natural history with great influence well into the 18th century. A book 
that usually suffered from much use, this copy is certainly above the 
average normally encountered. One plate bound upside down; small tape 
stains on a handful of plates; one plate with a neatly repaired tear; 
another plate with slight loss of image. Generally clean and crisp, 
handsomely bound. Near Fine.

Jonston was a physician of Scottish decent, born on the Continent, where 
he spent the better part of his life. Jonston practiced other 
occupations in addition to being a physician, and in 1650 he published 
the first version of his zoology. Jonston is now seen chiefly as a 
"learned compiler" and his sources for the present work were wide 
ranging, but probably the main influence was Ulisse Aldrovandi 
(1522-1605). In addition to the technical merits of this book, Jonston 
also had a good imagination, as some of the creatures illustrated never 
existed: hippos with strange features, dragons, unicorns, griffons, and 
animals with human faces. (#016969) $12,500.00

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