The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is one of the 18th century's greatest
natural history achievements and remains one of the most prized natural
history books of all time. Though scientists of his era often collected
natural specimens for research purposes, Amsterdam-based pharmacist
Albertus Seba (1665-1736) was unrivalled in his passion. His amazing
collection of animals, plants and insects from all around the world
gained international fame during his lifetime.
In 1731, after decades of collecting, Seba commissioned careful and
often scenic illustrations of every specimen. With these meticulous
drawings, he arranged for the publication of a four-volume catalog,
covering the entire collection from strange and exotic plants to snakes,
frogs, crocodiles, shellfish, corals, birds, and butterflies, as well as
now extinct creatures.
This reproduction is taken from a rare, hand-colored original. The
introduction supplies background information about the fascinating
tradition of natural collections to which Seba's curiosities belonged.
About the series
TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in
1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping
bookworms around the world curate their own library of art,
anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate
40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The
40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program--now
more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same
commitment to impeccable production.
