No. 104 of 248 · The Natural History Series
Shell Garlands
Pictures by Albertus Seba
Tiny seashells curl into garlands, swags, stars and rosettes in this hand-coloured engraving from Albertus Seba's Thesaurus of Natural Curiosities of 1758. Seba, an Amsterdam apothecary, had his great cabinet of shells drawn and engraved, and collectors of his day arranged shells like these to turn their collections into works of art. For someone who loves the sea and old curiosities.
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On the back
From the great natural-history books of the 1700s to the 1900s / SHELL GARLANDS / Small shells set as garlands / Collectors of the 1700s arranged shells in garlands, stars and flowers inside their cabinets, turning their collections into works of art. / Thesaurus of Natural Curiosities, vol. 3, 1758 / Albertus Seba, an Amsterdam apothecary, had his great cabinet of shells and sea creatures drawn and engraved.
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