12 ANTIQUE 1740 GEORGE EDWARDS HAND COLOURED ORNITHOLOGICAL ENGRAVINGS OF BIRDS

Description

Royal House Antiques

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare suite of Twelve original 1740-1760 dated hand water coloured prints after George Edwards 1694-1773 depicting Ornithological Birds, Butterflies and flowers in the period Decoupage frames

If you are looking at this listing then the chances are you know exactly what these are, I’ll include a short Bio below, there are different values to these sets and this is suite is at the very highest end as it has not just the basic birds but some of the most colourful examples I have seen, it also have birds mixed with butterflies in four of the examples which is super rare

The condition is period perfect, you can see the plate mark impressions around the boarders, some of the prints are detailed and dated with what they are, all the information has been pictured for you

These prints totally define a space, I can’t explain just how magical they are in real life

Dimensions

Height:- 41.5cm

Width:- 35cm

Depth:- 2.5cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask

A Natural History of Uncommon Birds (1743-1751) by George Edwards with 362 plates in all, with 318 of birds & the balance of various mammals, fish & insects.

It was heralded as the most important of all Bird Books, both from an artistic and an ornithological perspective, and time has certainly not dimmed either its luster or appeal.

George Edwards was an English draughtsman and a skilled observer of birds and one of the most prominent ornithologists of his day. He worked as Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians, where he was later elected a fellow, and was honored with the Gold Medal of the Royal Society. As the Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians, he oversaw a library of 8,000 volumes. The small honorarium he received for this post liberated him to pursue his ornithological studies and drawings.

He died in West Ham, which was also his birthplace, in 1773. Natural History and Gleanings was illustrated for the first time many foreign species often drawn from live specimens held in captivity in London.

Edwards etched his own plates and then hand-colored several copies before supervising others in the coloring. The result is a work of superb skill and breathtaking color that remains ever-popular and is now increasingly rare.

Such was the impact of Natural History and Gleanings, that Edwards is considered to have almost single-handedly popularized the art of bird and animal illustration, and is thus known as “The Father of British Ornithology.”

Any questions please feel free to ask before you bid   

 

ABOUT US

Royal House Antiques is a privately owned family ran business founded in Wimbledon SW19 and now based in Pulborough RH20. We specialise in finding, restoring very fine luxury antique leather seating, along with every single other type of antique ranging from the 16th century to the 20th century. We also stock a number of designer brands such as Fritz Hansen, Ralph Lauren, Cavalli, Charles & Ray Eames, Vitra, David Linley, Rolex, Tiffany, Jager Le Coulter and so on     

 

PAYMENTS

We accept payment via Bitcoin, Bitcoin cash, Ethereum, Bacs, Chaps, PayPal or Card, we would kindly ask that all items are paid for within 48 hours and collected within 7 working days, we can hold all paid items for 14 days free of charge, there after a £20 a week storage fee will apply. We have long term storage which is very economically priced, we are happy to hold stock for as long as needed providing it is arranged prior to the purchase 

If sold items aren’t collected within three months and no arrangements have been made for long term storage you will forfeit the item and payment

 

CONDITION

Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition. Please also ask any questions before you bid and not after, all of our items are sold as seen and as listed

Royal House Antiques cannot be held liable for any independent assumptions made regarding the items we sell, if you are unsure on any point, please feel free to ask for clarity  

Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade   

 

IMPORT DUTY

Most countries charge some kind of import duty however almost all of our items won’t incur any charges as the items are exempt from tax due to the age and materials used

For European deliveries the price you will be quoted will include all clearance documentation and any customs charges so there won’t be any additional fees

For international deliveries such as the United States there can be some import duty to pay and or a clearance fee, I would estimate that 99% of all deliveries clear customs without being stopped for either

All duties are the responsibility of the purchaser who is the importer, they can’t be covered by the seller or shipping agent or factored in with additional retrospective discounts

 

RETURNS

Royal House Antiques offers a no quibble return policy if the item is not as described, if there are any issues with the piece you will be refunded in full once the item has been returned and inspected within 14 days, alternatively if there is a small issue, we can discuss finding a mutual resolution that makes all parties happy

We don’t offer a sale on approval service which means you can purchase the item, have it delivered and if you simply don’t like it, return it, this comes under change of mind or doesn’t fit. There is a lot of time, money and work involved in transporting goods around the world, the costs incurred can be vast so my advice would be if you are unsure on a piece please ask as many questions as you like to make sure you understand everything before you buy, if you are still unsure then please either arrange a viewing in person or if that’s not possible then don’t buy from an online retailer, perhaps look for a local gallery instead