Straet, Jan van der.

Oblong folio (245 x 345mm.), engraved title, 102 engraved plates, together with 6 further plates on the uses of the silkworm, the title and plates all finely coloured in watercolour and gouache by a contemporary hand, the plates cut round and mounted as issued, later calf in period style, stamped in blind, [Schwerdt 2:228]

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Splendidly coloured hunting plates. “Stradanus… was born in Bruges, but did most of his work in Italy. He was principally a designer of cartoons for tapestries, and there are very few of his pictures in existence. From 1553-1571 he was employed by the Duke Cosimo de’ Medici in Florence, who commissioned him to make a number of designs for tapestries, representing fowling, fishing and hunting scenes, for the adornment of twenty rooms in the Palace of Peggio-a-Cajano. The… set of “Venationes” was engraved from these beautiful and original compositions” (Schwerdt, p.228).

The plates were issued in various editions until the mid-seventeenth century; the present set corresponds closely to the circa 1580 suite described in Schwerdt.