Conchology. BUONANNI. Ricreatione dell'occhio e della mente nell'osservation' delle chiocciole.

In 4to, 235 x 176 mm; Contemporary parchment binding with traces of a title within a cartouche, red speckled edges. Pages [16], 384, [16]. 3 allegorical Titlepages, 113 engraved plates and 2 two intaglio vignettes on pages 301 and 326. In total 116 copper engraved plates outside the text. Nice fresh copy with numerous annotations in brown ink alongside the plates.

Rare, superbly illustrated first edition. The first book that deals exclusively with shellfish. The title translates as “for the delight of the eyes and the mind in observing snails.” It includes 3 allegorical titlepages, 4 plates in the first and third parts and 109 plates depicting shells that make up the fourth part, including the intermediate titles of each of the three series. Overall more than 400 illustrations. The rich illustration was drawn and engraved by the author, with the exception of the frontispieces in the manner of Arcimboldo, the work of Francesco Venturino. Divided into four parts, three of which are text and one of plates, this treatise on conchology lists and studies a large number of species that the author had collected during his stay on the shores of the Adriatic and visiting the main cabinets and museums of the time of him. This copy contains a large number of handwritten annotations in the margins of the illustrations: many of these notes correct compositional errors by indicating the exact number of the description in the text.