The John Golden Library: Book Illustration in the Age of Scientific Discovery

The John Golden Library: Book Illustration in the Age of Scientific Discovery

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 19. Duppa, R[ichard] | The Plesch-de Belder copy of this exceedingly rare work.

Duppa, R[ichard] | The Plesch-de Belder copy of this exceedingly rare work

Auction Closed

November 22, 05:54 PM GMT

Estimate

4,000 - 6,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Duppa, R[ichard]

Illustrations of the Lotus of Antiquity. London: T. Bensley, 1813


Folio (355 x 270 mm). 5 finely engraved plates, 4 handcolored and one tinted, title-page, text in English and Greek; free-endpapers and plate of the capsula of the Tamara loosely inserted, 2 plates with notes in pencil at foot, scattered foxing but plates bright and clean. In contemporary half morocco over boards; joints starting, binding rubbed and worn.


The Plesch—de Belder copy of this rare work on the lotus of antiquity, quoting passages from Greek authors together with an English translation. The plates show the Libyan Lotus, the Aegyptian Lotus, the Lotus Major, the Tamara with its leaves when growing in the water, and the capsula of the Tamara with ripe seeds. This edition seems to be scarcer than the second edition, which is known to Nissen, Great Flower Books, and BM(NH), the latter of which indicates that only 25 copies were issued of the second edition. Most likely a similar number, or perhaps even fewer, were published for the first edition. Indeed, we can trace only one other copy of this work coming to market in the standard auction records.


Duppa (1770-1831) studied art in Rome in his youth and is known to have been a skillful draughtsman. 


REFERENCE:

Nissen BBI 567 (second edition); Pritzel 2542


PROVENANCE:

Arpad Plesch (gilt morocco booklabel; his sale, Sotheby's London, 17 June 1974, lot 234) — Robert de Belder (his sale, Sotheby's London, 27 April 1987, lot 113) — Sotheby's London, 13 November 2003, lot 45 (undesignated consignor)