Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 1
Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 2
Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 3
Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 4
Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 5
Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura - photo 6

Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura

Lot 34
27.01.2023 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 25 200
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 887807
Lot 34 | Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura
Estimate value
$ 14 000 – 18 000
GESNER, Conrad (1516-1565). Historiae animalium liber IIII. qui est de piscium & aquatilium animantium natura. Zurich: Conrad Froschauer, 1558.

First edition, with fine publisher's hand-coloring, of Gesner's great encyclopedia of aquatic life, in a contemporary German binding. This work—teeming with striking illustrations of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and more—is the fourth volume of his exhaustive treatment of the animal kingdom, the first systematic treatise on zoology in the Renaissance. Gesner, "one of the great polymaths of the Renaissance" (PMM), gathered data from antiquity, contemporary authors, and his own observations to provide the first accurate descriptions of many aquatic and marina animals, from the beaver to the sea cucumber. The sensitively colored woodcuts are based on original drawings, which were recently rediscovered and can now be found at the Amsterdam University Library. In a contemporary binding with fine, accurate coloring, this is an exceptional copy of a work which "remained the most authoritative zoological book between Aristotle and the publication of Ray's classification of fauna in 1693" (PMM). Adams G-538;Horblit 39; Nissen ZBI 1553 PMM 77; Wellisch 26.1.

Folio (397 x 246mm). Printer's device on title and 737 woodcuts in text, with contemporary publisher’s hand-coloring (a few minor tears in blank margins repaired, some minute wormholes occasionally touching a letter of text, faint dampstaining on upper corner of some gatherings). Contemporary German blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, clasps.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.01.2023 – 27.01.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.