Description
Folio (38.5 X30 X6cm and 7- 8Kgs approx) 542pp. Hardcover with cream cloth covered boards with a very sound spine and pictorial laminated d/w both in pristine condition housed in a solid white laminated pictorial slipcase in very good condition with only minor soiling on top and bottom cloth covered sides, the exquisite illustrations and text are also in a pristine state, each of the 542 pages having been carefully inspected for any damage at all, hence the book is overall near-fine or better. Besler (1561- 1629) was a respected Nuremberg apothecary and botanist, best known for his monumental Hortus Eystettensis. He was the curator of a magnificent garden belonging to a Prince-Bishop in Bavaria who was also an enthusiastic botanist and commissioned Besler to compile a codex of the plants growing in this garden that was then published as a plant atlas or florilegium, printed in large format in 1613, indexed in both Latin and old German names. This current volume is a magnificent facsimile edition of the rare hand-colored 17th century masterpiece and is arguably one of the most splendid works ever produced on flowering plants. The oversize botanical drawings (373 full-page color plates) are accompanied by the original captions in beautiful calligraphy as well. The entire book is a rather stunning work of art.