SCHAEFFER, J.C.

Fungorum qui in Bavaria et Palatinatu circa Ratisbonam nascuntur Icones nativis coloribus expressae. Edition Secunda.

Eur 14,000 / USD 15,400
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Ratisbonae, impensis auctoris, 1772. 4 volumes bound in 2. Large-4to (270 x 225mm). With 2 engravedfrontispieces and 330 beautifully hand-coloured engraved plates. Contemporary green morocco, richly gilt decorated spines in 6 compartments, sides with gilt borders, gilt edges.

the finest work published in Germany on fungi

A beautifully bound copy of the finest work published in Germany on fungi. The text is in German as well as in Latin and describes the fungi of Bavaria and the Palatinate. The second edition is a reissue of the first edition which was published in 1762-1771. Four editions were published and all editions must have been very small. The text is both in Latin and German.
Schaeffer was a Bavarian clergyman-naturalist, a phenomenon so characteristic of the age of Enlightenment. His interest was broad and apart from publishing the most beautiful early iconography on fungi he published on birds, entomology and paper-making, however most of his works describe the fauna and flora of South Germany. The plates of the present work are superbly handcoloured and were drawn by Sophie Beez, I.St. Loibel, Johann Rothermund, and Schauer, and engraved by various engravers.
"In diesem Werk werden auf 330 colorierten Kupferstichen Makromyceten dargestellt, wobei auch auf die Farbe des Sporenstaubes und auf die Sporen Wert gelegt wurde. Die oft bemerkenswert exakten Beschreibungen sind in deutscher und lateinischer Sprache verfasst, erst in 4. Band werden alle dargestellten Pilze mit einem binärem Namen versehen. Das Tafelwerk Schaeffers gehört zu den grossen, z.T. naturalistischen Tafelwerke des ausgehenden 18. Jahrhunderts, die wesentlich zur Erfassung der Vielfalt beigetragen haben und die neue systematische Ansätze herausforderten" (Dörfelt & Heklau p. 415). 2 title-pages, 2 plates and 3 text-leaves with small library stamp in the margin.

Nissen BBI, 1744; Stafleu & Cowan 10476.