Sweert Emmanuel (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Folio. Contemporary leather (recently rebacked) with armorial stamp to front and rear board. One of the high spots of 17th century botany. Sweert originally issued this work as a sale catalogue for his botanical specimens for the Frankfurt fair of 1612. There were six editions of the work published between 1612 and 1647. This copy has 109 of the 110 plates, lacking plate 23, as well as the portrait. Some marginal repairs and worming; a few plates browned, but overall, quite decent impressions. Text in Latin, Dutch, German and French.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Francofurti, Anthonium Kempner, 1612. 2 parts in one volume, folio (400 x 265mm.), part one with engraved title, letterpress title for part 2, engraved portrait of the author, 110 engraved plates, contemporary vellum. Large copy. *** THE FIRST EDITION OF SWEERT'S FAMOUS "FLORILEGIUM" *** Originally intended as catalogues for the sale of plants and bulbs at the famous, annual Frankfurt fair, Sweert's Florilegium proved immensely popular, and was reprinted in Frankfurt in 1614 and then in Amsterdam in 1620, 1631, 1647, and 1655. Sweert's fame as a floriculturist was widespread: he was at one time the prefect of the gardens of Emperor Rudolf II and mention of him occurs in the correspondence of naturalists, botanists, and floriculturists of the period. A white iris was even named for him (the Iris sweertii). The work is divided into two parts: the first deals with bulbous species, and the second with species having "fibrous" roots (hellebores, canna, lily of the valley, chrysthanthemums, and many others) and a number of "beautiful" and "fragrant" trees such as myrtle, arbor vitae, and juniper. Hunt (Botanical Books), 196; Nissen (BBI) 1920; Pritzel 9073.