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02 pre view. 12 A blaze of colour Preview of the Books &Decorative Arts auctions on 18 and 19 September 2024 The British ornithologist John Gould introduced the exotic world of birds to the Victorian public of the 19 th century with his monumental, splendidly illustrated pub- lications. His presentation of a collection of 320 hum- mingbird specimens during the Great Exhibition of 1851 was a huge success. They also formed the basis for his main work: A monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds , which was published between 1849 and 1861. The effort involved was considerable: Gould patented a special illustration process in which gold or silver leaf, transparent oils and layers of colour were used to imitate the shimmering hummingbird feathers. This process was also used in his last work, the Birds of New Guinea (ill. 3). As evidenced by the illustrious prov- enance of the present copy, these magnificent volumes were acquired by the great collections and palace librar- ies of their time. The Dutch surgeon Govard Bidloo published his Anatomia Humani Corporis in Amsterdam in 1685, with illustrations based on drawings by Gerard de Lairesse. Sales were slow, however, and much to Bidloo’s chagrin, the anatomist William Cowper acquired 300 complete sets of the imprints from the publisher, and had them bound with new texts, a new title and under his own name, adding only nine plates onmyology. Cowper’s first edition was published in Oxford in 1698 and was later fol- lowed by expanded versions. Our example is unique due to the meticulously executed colouring, which cannot be found in any other copy on the auction market within the past 50 years (ill. 2). Augsburg was a centre for the production of fine ceremonial and artistic cabinets. Made of ebony or ebonised fruitwood, they were often lavishly decorated with geometric reserves of semi-precious stones, pi- etra paesina or silver. If the exterior of such furniture is largely unadorned, as in the example presented here, the interior is usually all the more opulent (ill. 1). 1 A German Baroque cabinet with ‘Pietra Dura’ and ‘Pietra Paesina’ intarsia. Probably Augsburg, circa 1650. 90 × 59 × 88 cm. Estimate: CHF 60 000/100 000 2 William Cowper. Anatomia corporum humanorum ab excellentissimis, qui in Europa sunt, artificibus, illustrata. With engraved frontispiece, title vignette and 123 copper engravings on 118 (3 folded) plates, all with old colouring. Utrecht, 1750. Estimate: CHF 25 000/40 000 For further information Books Dr Andreas Terwey terwey@kollerauctions.com Decorative Arts Stephan Koller skoller@kollerauctions.com Online Catalogues www.kollerauctions.com 3 John Gould. The birds of New Guinea and the adja- cent Papuan Islands, including many new species recently discovered in Australia. 5 volumes. With 320 coloured lithograph plates. London, 1875–1888. Estimate: CHF 50 000/80 000 1 2