Lot 313 - A206 Books & Autographs - Wednesday, 20. September 2023, 02.00 PM
ZOOLOGY -
Spix, Johann Baptist.
Animalia nova sive species novae testudinum et Ranarum. With 39 coloured lithographed plates. [AND]: Animalia nova sive species novae lacertarum. With 30 handcoloured lithographed plates. 2 works in 2 volumes.
Munich, F. S. Hübschmann, 1824-1825. Folio. [2] sheets, 53 p.; [1] sheet, 26 p., [2] sheets. Marbled leather bindings of the time with gilt spine title and rich spine gilt (corners somewhat rubbed and bumped; vol. 1 somewhat scuffed, joints somewhat rubbed).
Nissen ZBI 3946 und 3945 - Wood 579 und 580 (kennt nur 22 bzw. 28 Tafeln) - Borba de Moraes II, 828 und 829 - DSB XII, S. 578: "one of the most important scientific expeditions of the nineteenth century". - First editions. - Spix originally studied medicine but later decided to pursue zoology. He served as the curator of the zoological collections at the Munich Academy. In 1815, he embarked on an expedition to South America with Karl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. They left Trieste in April 1817 and arrived in Rio de Janeiro in July of the same year. Before their return to Europe in April 1820, the two men extensively explored the interior of the country and the Amazon River, becoming the first Europeans to do so since La Condamine in the mid-18th century. The collections they brought back to Munich were substantial and formed the basis for significant works. These works depicted turtles, toads and frogs, crocodiles, iguanas, etc. The text is minimally yellowed and shows slight foxing in places. The front inner joint is slightly cracked. Each bears a stamped coat of arms ex-libris on the front paste-down and a stamped title.
CHF 1 400 / 2 000 | (€ 1 440 / 2 060)
Sold for CHF 15 000 (including buyer's premium)