first edition Hardcover
1710 · Copenhagen
by WUNDERKAMMERN. CABINETS OF CURIOSITY. MUSEUMS. Jacobaeus, Oliger [Holger Jacobsen] (1650-1701); Laverentzen, Johannes (c. 1648-1729)
Copenhagen: Johannes Lauerentzen, 1710. FIRST EDITION THUS, GREATLY-EXPANDED FROM THE FIRST EDITION (1696.). Hardcover. Fine. An excellent copy in contemporary sprinkled, paneled calf (minor wear to extremities, discreet repairs to heads of the hinges, very small defect to headcap), the boards with a decorative gilt filet at the edges, the central compartment framed with a repeating blind-tooled roll, with large ornaments in blind at the angles. The spine is richly tooled in gold with decorative ornaments. The title, "MUSEUM REGIUM", surmounted by a crown with the monogram of King Frederick IV of Denmark, is stamped in gold in the 2nd compartment. The text and plates are in excellent condition with a few trivial blemishes, early signature washed out, light toning to a few plates, and light yellowing at the fold of one plate. There are some extensive pencil annotations in the numismatic section. The central gatherings are sprung. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and 54 engraved copper plates of specimens, artifacts, and coins. 2 of the plates are double-page. 2 plates in the final sequence are numbered XXI and "Tabulae"(i.e. image) XXIII/XXIV in the same sequence are engraved on one plate. [The first edition had only 37 plates. The 1699 supplement included an additional 3 plates.]
The Royal Danish Kunstkammer, an impressive collection of naturalia and artificialia (described below), was founded by King Frederick III (reigned 1648-1670) in 1650, shortly after his ascension to the Danish throne, and was continued by his son, Christian V (reigned 1670-1699), to whom the first edition of the catalogue (1696) was dedicated. The nucleus of the museum was the famed Wunderkammer of the eminent Danish naturalist, historian, and runologist Ole Worm, whose collection of natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts was purchase by King Frederick upon Worm's death in 1654.
The Kunstkammer existed until 1825 when its collections were dispersed among the many specialized museums created around that time. This catalogue is an invaluable illustrated record of the collections as they stood in the early 18th century. The author, the comparative anatomist Holger Jacobson (latinized as Oliger Jacobaeus), was a student of Nicolas Steno and the son-in-law of the physician and anatomist Thomas Bartholin. He taught philosophy, history, geography, and medicine at Copenhagen University, and served as keeper and librarian of the royal collections.
In 1687, Frederick's son Christian the Fifth (reg. 1670-99) ordered Jacobson to write a complete catalog of the collection. Jacobson's first edition of the museum collection was printed in 1696. A supplement followed in 1699. The collections continued to grow in size and prominence, and an updated version of Jacobson's catalogue was soon required. This new edition of 1710 was further expanded and edited by Johannes Laverentzen (c. 1648-1729), director of the royal printing house, who dedicated it to King Frederick IV of Denmark (reigned 1699-1730).
The museum catalogue is divided into two parts. The first part contains seven sections, describing and depicting such diverse items as mummies, narwhal horns, conjoined twins, cutaneous horns, and numerous New World specimens, including an armadillo, anteater, bird of paradise, and pineapple; The second part consists of five sections, describing precious objects made from gold (such as the golden horn from Ole Worm's collection), silver, bone, stone etc., weapons and instruments of cultures worldwide, relics from antiquity, mechanical and optical instruments (such as a machine for calculating astronomical phenomena), and the extensive numismatic collection. (For further detail, see below.)
37 of the plates are the work of J. Erichsonig after Benedict Grothschilling and depict an array of artifacts and specimens. In addition to the large plates, each of the chapters is illustrated with a decorative headpiece, tailpiece, and large engraved initial illustrated according to the category of artifact included in that chapter. For example, for Section I, "On Humans & Quadrupeds", the initial depicts a sarcophagus opened to reveal its occupant; the headpiece shows an array of animals and animal skeletons with pride-of-place given to a human skeleton flanked by elephant tusks and dissected fetal corpses. The whole scene is festooned with garlands of claws, hooves, and human hands.
The museum catalogue is divided into two parts. The 'Pars Prima' contains seven sections relating to 'Naturalia' dealing in turn with 1. humans and quadrupeds, 2. birds, 3. fish, 4. shells, 5. reptiles, and 6. insects; followed by 7. metals, minerals, and earths. 'Pars Secunda' focuses upon 'Artificialia' and has five sections corresponding to: 1. artificial objects of metal, wood, bone, horn and amber; 2. weapons, clothes, implements and utensils from India, Turkey, Greenland and elsewhere; 3. antiquities; 4. scientific and mechanical apparatus; and 5. coins, medals, seals. The striking plates show a curious mixture of man-made and natural objects, including two Egyptian mummies, a petrified foetus, and a collection of remarkable horns (including the famous horned hares), numerous coins, medals, birds, fish, shells, serpents, insects, as well as fossils and minerals. The ethnographic cabinets containing costumes and implements, were strong in Scandinavian material and antiquities, including a kayak and clothing from Greenland (the Greenlanders are depicted on one of the plates), the Danish horn made of gold and adorned with runes from Worm's collection, the 'runeless horn' and the famous 12th-century 'Gunhild Cross' made of walrus ivory, bought by Christian V in Copenhagen in 1684 (an early instance of accession by auction purchase.). (Inventory #: 4985)
The Royal Danish Kunstkammer, an impressive collection of naturalia and artificialia (described below), was founded by King Frederick III (reigned 1648-1670) in 1650, shortly after his ascension to the Danish throne, and was continued by his son, Christian V (reigned 1670-1699), to whom the first edition of the catalogue (1696) was dedicated. The nucleus of the museum was the famed Wunderkammer of the eminent Danish naturalist, historian, and runologist Ole Worm, whose collection of natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts was purchase by King Frederick upon Worm's death in 1654.
The Kunstkammer existed until 1825 when its collections were dispersed among the many specialized museums created around that time. This catalogue is an invaluable illustrated record of the collections as they stood in the early 18th century. The author, the comparative anatomist Holger Jacobson (latinized as Oliger Jacobaeus), was a student of Nicolas Steno and the son-in-law of the physician and anatomist Thomas Bartholin. He taught philosophy, history, geography, and medicine at Copenhagen University, and served as keeper and librarian of the royal collections.
In 1687, Frederick's son Christian the Fifth (reg. 1670-99) ordered Jacobson to write a complete catalog of the collection. Jacobson's first edition of the museum collection was printed in 1696. A supplement followed in 1699. The collections continued to grow in size and prominence, and an updated version of Jacobson's catalogue was soon required. This new edition of 1710 was further expanded and edited by Johannes Laverentzen (c. 1648-1729), director of the royal printing house, who dedicated it to King Frederick IV of Denmark (reigned 1699-1730).
The museum catalogue is divided into two parts. The first part contains seven sections, describing and depicting such diverse items as mummies, narwhal horns, conjoined twins, cutaneous horns, and numerous New World specimens, including an armadillo, anteater, bird of paradise, and pineapple; The second part consists of five sections, describing precious objects made from gold (such as the golden horn from Ole Worm's collection), silver, bone, stone etc., weapons and instruments of cultures worldwide, relics from antiquity, mechanical and optical instruments (such as a machine for calculating astronomical phenomena), and the extensive numismatic collection. (For further detail, see below.)
37 of the plates are the work of J. Erichsonig after Benedict Grothschilling and depict an array of artifacts and specimens. In addition to the large plates, each of the chapters is illustrated with a decorative headpiece, tailpiece, and large engraved initial illustrated according to the category of artifact included in that chapter. For example, for Section I, "On Humans & Quadrupeds", the initial depicts a sarcophagus opened to reveal its occupant; the headpiece shows an array of animals and animal skeletons with pride-of-place given to a human skeleton flanked by elephant tusks and dissected fetal corpses. The whole scene is festooned with garlands of claws, hooves, and human hands.
The museum catalogue is divided into two parts. The 'Pars Prima' contains seven sections relating to 'Naturalia' dealing in turn with 1. humans and quadrupeds, 2. birds, 3. fish, 4. shells, 5. reptiles, and 6. insects; followed by 7. metals, minerals, and earths. 'Pars Secunda' focuses upon 'Artificialia' and has five sections corresponding to: 1. artificial objects of metal, wood, bone, horn and amber; 2. weapons, clothes, implements and utensils from India, Turkey, Greenland and elsewhere; 3. antiquities; 4. scientific and mechanical apparatus; and 5. coins, medals, seals. The striking plates show a curious mixture of man-made and natural objects, including two Egyptian mummies, a petrified foetus, and a collection of remarkable horns (including the famous horned hares), numerous coins, medals, birds, fish, shells, serpents, insects, as well as fossils and minerals. The ethnographic cabinets containing costumes and implements, were strong in Scandinavian material and antiquities, including a kayak and clothing from Greenland (the Greenlanders are depicted on one of the plates), the Danish horn made of gold and adorned with runes from Worm's collection, the 'runeless horn' and the famous 12th-century 'Gunhild Cross' made of walrus ivory, bought by Christian V in Copenhagen in 1684 (an early instance of accession by auction purchase.). (Inventory #: 4985)
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