H.N. ZOOLOGIE POISSONS: Pl. 26 Myliobatis & Bandes - BULL & BANDED RAYS print 1821 - 1830

N.H. ZOOLOGIE POISSONS: 

 BULL & BANDED RAYS 

Mylobatis & Bandes

"Description de l'Égypte, ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française"

This outstanding rare elephant folio engraving of rays, is from the Natural History section of the second, “Royal/Panckoucke” 1821-1830 Paris edition, of the monumental 23 volume: “Description of Egypt, or collection of the observations and researches which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, and published by the orders of his majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great in Paris 1809-22."

After the failure of Napoleon’s 1798 military campaign to conquer Egypt, his top scientists, engineers and artists who had followed his troops from France, remained to study Egyptian culture and its history.

The results were truly spectacular. Ancient Egypt was discovered, modern Egypt was carefully and methodically scrutinised, and everything was recorded in meticulous detail, so the outside world could view these rare treasures.

These gorgeous fish plates, with very fine later hand colouring, all carry the “Egypte ancienne et moderne” watermark, and were produced by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Henri-Joseph Redouté.