Schlegel, Hermann, and Gerardus Frederik Westerman

De Toerako's afgebeeld en beschreven. Amsterdam: for Koninklijk Zoölogisch Genootschap by Natura Artis Magistra, 1860



Broadsheets (28 3/4 x 21 5/16 in.; 730 x 542 mm). 17 fine handcolored lithographed plates, heightened with gum arabic, after Schlegel by P. W. M. Trap, with an additional uncolored suite of the plates; most plates with a bit of light foxing, a few plates with minor marginal tears or fraying, one uncolored plate dust-soiled at fore-edge, first several text leaves with marginal tears. Text and plates loose as issued in original printed buff wrappers; some marginal soiling and fraying. Green morocco folding-case, half green morocoo chemise with large green morocco lettering-piece; case a trifle scuffed, spine faded to brown.

Ayer/Zimmer 555; Copenhagen/Anker 444; Fine Bird Books 105; Landwehr 175; Nissen, IVB 833

First edition of the most sumptuous monograph on turacos. Turacos, also called plantain-eaters and go-away-birds, are found only in sub-Sahara Africa. These exotic birds belong, like the cuckoos, to the order Cuculiformes, but they are assigned to a unique order (Musophagiformes).

Schlegel's drawings were made largely from live specimens at the Amsterdam Zoo, of which Westerman was the director. Zimmer finds that the plates "suggest the work of Wolf"—undoubtedly the influence of Wolf's magnificent plates for Schlegel's Traité de fauconnerie (see preceding lot).