Merian, Maria Sybilla Erucarum ortus, alimentum... Lot 1

Merian, Maria Sybilla Erucarum ortus, alimentum et paradoxa methamorphosis, In qua Origo, pabulum, transformatio, nec con tempus, locus & proprietates erucarum, vermium, papilionum, phalaenarum, muscarum, aliorumque hujusmodi exsangium animalculorum exhibitor ... compendiosèque descripta, Amsterdam, Oosterwyk, (1718), 64 p., 3 parts in one volume, with engraved frontispiece by J. Schynvoet, engraved portrait Merian by J. Houbraken and engraved head vignette on dedication sheet, with 3 coloured intertitles as well as 150 coloured copper plates, half leather binding of the period on 5 volumes with title on spine, octav. Stronger signs of age, endpapers with label, partly stained/browned, isolated handwritten entries, partly ber. and dam. Provenance: from the possession of a former pharmacist in Southern Germany. The first Latin edition of the work ''Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandlung und sonderbare Blumennahrung''. One of the most artistically valuable and aesthetic botanical-zoological works with atmospheric depictions of caterpillars and butterflies in their natural environment. The first part was first published in 1679, the second part in 1683 and the third part in 1717.