The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I

The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 46. Cirillo | Entomologiae neapolitanae specimen primum, Naples, 1787, calf-backed boards.

Cirillo | Entomologiae neapolitanae specimen primum, Naples, 1787, calf-backed boards

Auction Closed

May 18, 05:10 PM GMT

Estimate

4,000 - 5,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Domenico Cirillo


Entomologiae Neapolitanae specimen primum. Naples, 1787


Folio (532 x 365mm.), engraved throughout, title-page, dedication and preface in sepia, 12 hand-coloured plates with facing text descriptions, engraved by Angelo de Clener after Cirillo, with the drawing of a whale loosely inserted, contemporary calf-backed boards, spine gilt in compartments with red morocco lettering-piece, boards somewhat rubbed


THE FIRST WORK ON NEAPOLITAN ENTOMOLOGY. Cirillo (1739-1799) was a Neapolitan doctor and naturalist, the author of numerous works of medicine and botany. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, but was hanged for his part in the Parthenopean Republic in 1799 after Nelson helped restore the Bourbon monarchs.


RARE: ICCU records just two copies in Italy, in Pavia and Turin. Presumably another part was planned but never published.


The drawing of a whale stranded near Cannes on 20 March 1797 is loosely inserted in the back of the volume; the original specimen was sent to the Comte de Lacépède on 1 April 1797, and he described it in his treatise on whales as being 60 feet long. The drawing was done by Jacques Quine, an architect from Grasse.