Beautiful hand-coloured engraved plates of beetles

Kleemann, Roesel (Rösel) von Rosenhof and others: 72 hand-colored engraved plates of beetles, issued with Johann Eusebius Voet: Icones et descriptiones Coleopterorum.

Erlangen 1802 (?). 24,5 x 20,5 cms. Plates numbered 1-48 + 1-24 (”pars 2”), matching the number of plates in the first and early editions.

The first edition of Voet’s work on beetles was published at Haag in 1766/69 (Catalogus systematicus coleopterum. / Catalogue systematique des coleotères. / Systematische Naamlijst van dat geslacht van Insecten, dat men Torren noemt). Title editions followed.

The present copy contains all 72 plates, in a very fine state of preservation, with incomplete text and a title-leaf dated Erlangen 1802 (”Ioannis Eusebii Voetii Icones et descriptiones Coleopterorum”), with volume number (”Tomus quintus”) crudely deleted with a cancel slip but legible from reverse.

(The text following the title-leaf and dedication consists of 3 batches of undated printed text in Latin, French and Dutch respectively, each consisting of 88 + 24 pages. The contents of these texts correspond, but ends abruptly and not at the same place in the text. They are each followed by several handwritten leaves, possibly constituting the continuation of text in each language. The 2 preliminary leaves with title appear to be taken from another copy, and may possibly even be from a different edition.)

Contemporary half sheepskin, worn, spine with 5 raised bands and label lettered in gilt as follows: ”Ioannis Eus. Voetii / Icon et description. / Coleopterorum / Latein Franc. / und Hollaendisch mit / 72. Tabul. Illum.”

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