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drawing of an elephant sitting on its hind legs with its back to the camera
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1586 - Zoology – Elephantology Description and illustration of an u…
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Estimate €500 - €750
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Description
Zoology – Elephantology Description and illustration of an unborn elephant, together with various previously unpublished accounts concerning the natural history of elephants. With 1 copperplate engraving by Nussbiegel. Erlangen, Walther, 1783. 16 pp. 4°, paperback, with handwritten title label (scuffed and bumped, spine with small tears in the cover). Only edition. – Nissen, ZBI 4505. – Extremely rare; no copy has been identified by us in the international market or at auctions. - The starting point for the work is an elephant foetus preserved in alcohol, which is said to have originated from Ceylon and to have come into Zimmermann’s possession from a courtly or princely natural history collection. Zimmermann begins by providing a precise morphological description: he records the length and circumference of the body, the proportions of the head, trunk, limbs and torso, the position of the eyes, the shape of the ears and the first signs of skin folds. He devotes particular attention to the strikingly spotted, marbled skin, which he describes as a remarkable colour pattern and which was later shown to be partly attributable to the state of preservation and the effects of the alcohol. The accompanying illustration shows the foetus in profile, with its contours and markings carefully traced, so that the reader can cross-reference the description with the visual representation. In the tradition of contemporary natural history, Zimmermann thus demonstrates his commitment to combining observation, measurement and imagery as mutually supportive forms of evidence. Eberhard August Wilhelm Zimmermann (1743–1815), Professor of Mathematics and Natural History in Braunschweig, was one of the leading Enlightenment naturalists who combined precise observation of objects with systematic zoology and geography. – Well preserved. Very rare. Zoology. – Elephants. – With 1 copperplate engraving by Nussbiegel. Only edition. – Nissen, ZBI 4505. – Extremely rare; we have not identified any copies in the international trade or at auctions. - The starting point for the work is an elephant foetus preserved in alcohol, which is said to have originated from Ceylon and to have come into Zimmermann’s possession from a courtly or princely natural history collection. Zimmermann first provides a precise morphological description: he records the length and circumference of the body, the proportions of the head, trunk, limbs and torso, the position of the eyes, the shape of the ears and the first signs of skin folds. He devotes particular attention to the strikingly spotted, marbled skin, which he describes as a remarkable colour pattern and which was later shown to be partly attributable to the state of preservation and the effects of the alcohol. The accompanying illustration shows the foetus in profile, with carefully traced contours and spots, so that the reader can cross-check the description against the visual representation. In the tradition of contemporary natural history, Zimmermann thus demonstrates his commitment to combining observation, measurement and imagery as mutually supportive forms of evidence. Eberhard August Wilhelm Zimmermann (1743–1815), Professor of Mathematics and Natural History in Braunschweig, ranks amongst the leading Enlightenment naturalists who combined precise observation of objects with systematic zoology and geography. – Well preserved. Rare. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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