HERMANN, PAUL. Paradisus Batavus.... Leiden: Abraham Elzevier, 1698.
1st Edition. 4to (236 x 177 mm). Contemporary calf with breaks along spine, cords strong and intact. Raised bands with decorative gilt panels; gilt title on red leather Some loss to top edges of spine. Original marble endpapers with previous owner's inscriptions and signature on verso of front free end paper. [20] 1-247 [1]-15pp. Last 15 pages "Catalogus Plantarum Nondum aeri Insculptarum quas Sequentibus Tomis componendis depingendas curaverat clarissimus Hermannus."
There are 111 copper engraved plates of botanical specimens collected in Ceylon, Africa and some apparently of American origin. Some spotting and offsetting of plates to text. Very good margins for text and plates. There are good wide margins for text and plates. This rare collection of plant specimens carefully described by Hermann was quite useful to Linneaus in his work on plant classification. Hermann was a keen observer of plant structure and the high quality and details of plant structure illustrated herein is very remarkable. The plates are not signed. There are neatly printed ink annotations on many of the plates below the printed name provided by a later owner is for the Latin names for genus and species offered by Linnaeus. (Cleveland, 314 2nd ed.; Nissen, 860; Pritzel, 3994).
$US3800
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