Author: RUMPHIUS, GREGORIUS EVERHARDUS (=G.E. RUMPF, 1628-1702) - JOHAN PHLIP SIPMAN [1666-1725],
Title: D'Amboinsche Rariteitkamer, hebelzende eene beschryvinge van allerhande zoo weeke als harde schaalvisschen, ...als mede allehande hoorntjes en schulpen,...daar benevens zommige mineraalen, gesteenten en soorten van aarde,...verdeelt in drie boeken, en met nodige printverbeelding...
Description: Amsterdam, Jan Roman de Jonge (II), 1741. 3 parts in one volume. Folio. full contemp. calf. Richly gilded spine in compartments. Handmade marble endpapers. Hftitle (verso blank), ti.-p. printed in bold red and black type, large copper engraved rectangular monochrome publ. device at tail. Original copper-engraved monochrome title-print, portrait of Rumphius with extensive text printed at tail margin. [24p.: preface, dedication, table of contents], 340, [41]pp. Numerous monochrome illustrations on 59 copper-engraved plates, featuring illustrations after drawings of Shellfish, shells and Molluscs minerals, rocks and agro-geology of Ambon Seas and and land, large engraved monochrome head-and-tail pieces to each section, incl. large decorative monochrome initials, index, printed marginalia. Ample illustrated Old dutch language with for the first time in history of nature detailed descriptions of Shellfis, Molluscs, Crayfish, Shells collected from in the Ambon seas, drawn after nature by Rumphius' Moluccan assistant after nature, described in detail by Rumphius, which includes a third section describing in detail the Ambon agro-geology, rocks and minerals. Rumphius, a V.O.C. servant was posted at Ambon City and was the foremost Naturalhistory scientist of the seventeenth century from the Dutch East Indies. This work can be considered as a globally important descriptive account of Seashells from Ambon Seas, collected and described after nature in great detail, which includes the connection between local customary law, or Adat law and shells described, ethnography and ancestry. Fine to very fine clean copy, plates in excellent implrint. Still of great importantce for scientists and scholars. (lower part of front outer hinge loosening but holding firmly, some very occasional, almost negible small marginal brown spots, a very clean and crisp copy. ).

Keywords: shellfish shells minerals agrogeology ambon seas oceanograplhy naturalhistory determination splecies molluscs ambon rumphius science research copperplates colonialism indonesia southeastasia 17thcentu