ALDROVANDI (ULISSE)


[Opera omnia], 13 vol., comprising: (i) Ornithologiae hoc est de avibus hisoriae libri xii [vol. 1], engraved portrait, Uu6 torn without loss, Bologna, Francisus de Francisci [colophon: Giovanni Battista Bellagamba], 1599; Ornithologiae tomus tertius ac postremus, Bologna, G.B. Bellagamba, 1603; Ornithologiae tomus alter [-Tomus tertius et ultimus], 2 vol. in 1., 36 engraved plates with old vellum tabs attached, Frankfurt, Wolffgang Richter [-Caspar Rotelius], 1610-1635, [cf. Nissen IVB 18]; (ii) De animalibus insectis libri septe, engraved portrait, some dampstaining and old ink smudging [Nissen ZBI 66], Bologna, G.B. Bellagamba, 1602; (iii) De reliquis animalibus, engraved portrait by Caracci [Nissen ZBI 68], Bologna, G.B. Bellagamba, 1606; (iv) De piscibus libri v et de cetis lib. Unus, small wormtril affecting 2 or 3 leaves, [Nissen ZBI 70], Bologna, G.B. Bellagamba, 1613; (v) De quadrupedibus solidi pedibus, [Nissen ZBI 72], Bologna, Victori Benatius, 1616; (vi) De quadrupedum omnium bisulcorum historia, [Nissen ZBI 76], Bologna, Sebastiano Bonomi, 1621; (vii) De quadrupedib' digitatis viviparis libri tres, et de quadrupedib' digitatis oviparis libri duo, some worming to first few gatherings (mostly marginal) [Nissen ZBI 77], Bologna, M.A. Bernia (for Nicola Tebaldini), 1637; (viii) Serpentum et draconum historiae libri duo, [Nissen ZBI 78], Bologna, M.A. Bernia (apud Clementem Ferronium), 1640; (ix) Monstrorum historia...cum paralipomensis histriae omnium animalium, 2 parts in 1 vol., engraved title shaved at head [Nissen ZBI 74], Bologna, Nicola Tebaldini, 1642; (x) Musaeum metallicum in libros iiii distributum, [Nissen ZBI 75], Bologna, G.B. Ferroni for M.A. Bernia, 1648; (xi) Dendrologiae naturalis scilicet arborum historiae libri ii, [Hunt 306; Nissen BBI 14], Bologna, G.B. Ferroni, [1667]-1668, together 11 works in 13 vol., all but the second volume FIRST EDITIONS, engraved title-pages with allegorical borders, woodcut illustrations throughout (many full-page), some foxing and browning, occasional light dampstaining, contemporary calf (all but 'Ornithologia tomus alter' and 'Dendrologia' uniform), worn, joints split, some covers detached, folio (13)
|"TRULY PRODIGIOUS STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY" (DSB I, p.109). This set of Aldrovandi's published works comprises first editions of all but the second volume of Ornithologia (which is the second edition published in Frankfurt). The works, for which he employed a number of artists, were based on his life-long natural history collection, one of the most spectacular cabinets of curiosities with over 7000 specimens.Provenance: M. Herzberger, Amsterdam, 30 November 1954.