Seba. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities

The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is a 18th-century natural history achievement, featuring Albertus Seba's collection of animals, plants, and insects from around the world. It includes meticulous illustrations and a four-volume catalog, offering a glimpse into the fascinating tradition of natural collections.

Format: Hardback
Length: 592 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2022
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, a remarkable natural history achievement of the 18th century, continues to be highly regarded as one of the most prized natural history books of all time. Despite the scientific practice of collecting natural specimens for research during that era, Amsterdam-based pharmacist Albertus Seba (1665–1736) stood out for his unparalleled passion. His extensive collection of animals, plants, and insects from various parts of the world gained him international recognition. In 1731, after years of diligent collecting, Seba commissioned detailed and captivating illustrations of every specimen in his collection. These meticulous drawings served as the basis for the publication of a four-volume catalog, which showcased the entire collection, ranging from exotic plants to snakes, frogs, crocodiles, shellfish, corals, birds, and even extinct creatures. The catalog, taken from a rare hand-colored original, includes an informative introduction that provides valuable insights into the fascinating tradition of natural collections, to which Seba's curiosities belonged.

Weight: 4632g
Dimension: 258 x 382 x 52 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836569064
Edition number: Multilingual ed