Plate from the work published between 1734-1765 : Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio et iconibus artificiosissimis expressis per universam physices historiam, opus ... ex toto terrarum orbe collegit, digessit, descripsit et depingendum curavit Albertus Seba ...

Albertus Seba is a Dutch zoologist and pharmacist, famous for his cabinet of curiosities. The income from his pharmacy provided him with a solid fortune, which he devoted to natural history, buying specimens from the New World and from distant lands. He sold his first collection to Tsar Peter I the Great in 1717 (which formed the embryo of the future museum of Saint Petersburg).

The Seba Thesaurus is a splendid publication, on the border between art and science. The animals are represented in artistic poses and the shells form decorative patterns. These prints represent a summit in the art of naturalistic illustration. They will often be used by other authors after him, notably Linné.

Large print with good margins, usual middle fold