Science & Technology / Museums & Wunderkammer

ALDROVANDI (ALDOVANDUS), Ulisse. [Opera omnia].
Bologna, 1599-1668. 13 volumes. Folio (35 x 24 cm). With engraved title-page to each volume, engraved full-page portrait of Aldrovandi in 3 volumes and several thousand woodcut illustrations in text, mostly after designs by J. Ligozzi and many full-page. Blind-tooled vellum (ca. 1645 & ca. 1670), with a large centrepiece on each board (the 11 volumes dated 1599-1642 from a single block; the 2 volumes dated 1648 & 1667 from a different block), the spines uniformly gold-tooled in the 18th-century. Full description

BUFFON, Georges-Louis Leclerc de. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du cabinet du roi. Nouvelle édition.
Dordrecht, Abraham Blussé, 1766-1799. 38 parts in 21 volumes. Large 4to. With more than 1100 hand-coloured engraved plates, 10 maps, 1 folding engraved table, and an engraved portrait of Buffon (by Houbraken, with an extra-added uncoloured portrait pasted on the verso). Contemporary, uniform half tanned sheepskin. Full description

GEUNS, Petrus. Memoire sur les aimans. Ou description succinte de tout ce qui est necessaire pour la construction de toute sorte d'aiman imaginable; le changement de pôles suivant l'axe ou suivant les cotés de la pierre d'aiman. La construction & trempe des aiguilles de boussole. Une mémoire sur l'engrenage pour les horloger & autre artisans. Et pour les amateurs de l'histoire naturelle deux méthodes pour fermer les bocaux contre evaporation de l'esprit de vin.
Venlo, au dépens de l'Auteur, 1768. 8vo. With a folding engraved table and 5 folding engraved plates with technical illustrations and figures. Contemporary calf. XXIV, 143, [7] pp. Full description

GORLAEUS, Abraham. Dactyliotheca, seu annulorum sigillarium quorum apud Priscos tam Graecos quam Romanos usus, ex ferro, aere, argento & auro promptuarii ... collectis aliunde & ineditis & editis annulorum figuris auctior; cum explicationibus Jacobi Gronovii.
Leiden, Petrus van de Aa, 1695. 2 volumes. 4to. With 2 different engraved allegorical title-pages (reflecting the themes of rings and intaglio-carved gems), 2 letterpress title-pages in red and black with one of Van der Aas engraved allegorical devices (Minerva/Athena, books, a cock and Hercules/Heracles, with motto "studio et vigilantia"), a portrait of the author by Jacques de Gheyn with a calligraphic verse by Hugo de Groot below, 138 engraved plates: 196 numbered illustrations of ancient rings with carved gems shown at actual size on 101 engraved plates, and 148 numbered illustrations of carved gems alone on 37 engraved plates). Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine. [22], 28, [16], 16 pp. plus 109 plates; 64, 32 pp. plus 173 plates. Full description

RUMPHIUS, Georg Everhard. d'Amboinsche rariteitkamer, behelzende eene beschryvinge van aleerhande zoo weeke als harde schaalvisschen, te weete raare krabben, kreeften, en diergelyke zeedieren, als mede allerhande hoorntjes en schulpen, die men in d'Amboinsche zee vindt: daar benevens zommigen mineraalen, gesteenten, en soorten van aarde, die in d'Amboinsche, en zommige omleggende eilanden gevonden worden.
Amsterdam, Jan Roman de jonge, 1741. Royal folio (44 x 27.5 cm). With engraved title-page, engraved author's portrait, 60 engraved plates and 5 engraved vignettes. Contemporary red half roan (sheepskin). [24], 340, [43], [1 blank] pp. Full description