Plate XXIII sea shells: Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet

Images(2)

Plate XXIII sea shells: Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet

Artist Georgius Everhardus Rumphius (1627 - 1702)

Date1705

Object number00017863

NameEngraving

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 383 x 248 mm, 0.01 kg

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

Amsterdam

DescriptionAn engraving depicting seven 'Cassides tuberosae' shells from the island of Ambon in eastern Indionesia. The page is Plate XXIII from the book 'Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet' researched and written by Georgius Everhardus Rumphius and published in 1705. Rumphius was employed by the Dutch East India Company and undertook extensive natural history research on Ambon where he lived for over 40 years. HistoryThe accompanying text for this page reads; The fourth maingenus of the Univalves, including those that have the shape of Casks and ordinary snails. Cassides tuberosae, or bossed cask, has the mixed shape of a snail, and a Voluta, because it has a broad head with many circles or whorls that come together, like the head of a Voluta, but the body is big and bossed, like a Cochlea. All of them have a long narrow door or mouth, of which the outside is curled over, or thickly edged; they cannot close their mouth too tightly, since they only have an oval little bone, or a dark brown, thin little shield, which they can pull quite far inside, so that one cannot see it. (Chapter 13 pp ll3-116). Plate XXIII letter A I Cassis tube rosae prima sive Cornuta, a Cask, the largest of the genus with a host of small notches all over (pp14-115). Plate XXIII letter B II Cassis rubra, about the size of two fists with brown flames and slightly knobbed, a rare kind that is seldom found (pp 15). PlateXXIII letter C III Cassis pennata, back is beautifully painted in black, brown and white, with fine and sharp notches, very rarely found (pp 15). PlateXXIII letter D IV Cassisas pera, not much larger than an egg, has round bands all over which have some brown spots, seldom found on Ambon (pp 15-116)SignificanceGeorgius Everhardus Rumphius, also known as the "Indian Pliny", was one of the great tropical naturalists of
the seventeenth century. Born in Germany, he spent most of his life in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, stationed on the island of Ambon in eastern Indonesia. Despite extensive personal tragedies, including the loss of his sight, Rumphius perservered to produce a definitive work on the area.