SEA SHELLS – COWRIES AND HELMET SHELLS FROM THE INDO-PACIFIC AND WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
Copper engraving from the so-called Thesaurus by Albertus Seba, published in Amsterdam between 1735-1765. With original hand colouring. Size (frame): 68 x 79 cm.
Albertus Seba (1665 – 1736) was a Dutch pharmacist and collector. Seba was popular among sailors who docked in the Amsterdam harbour. The exotic plants and animal products they brought with them were the basis for his recipes. He often traded his medicines for these items and treated the crew members. This is how Seba amassed an enormous collection of birds, snakes, lizards, insects, and shells. He sold his collection in 1725 for 15,000 guilders to Peter the Great, and it has since been part of the Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg. Seba’s Thesaurus was an extraordinarily costly work, both in production and acquisition. No fewer than 13 different engravers were involved in creating the many illustrations. The Thesaurus represents an important record of natural historical knowledge from the early 18th century and served both as an academic guide and a decorative encyclopedia.
Price: Euro 1.350,- (incl. frame)
