Naaukeurige verhandeling over de kanari-vogels serins de canarie 1712

Hervieux, J.C.

Natural History, Music, 1712 | Traité curieux des serins de canarie par J.C. Hervieux / Naaukeurige verhandeling van de kanarivogels door J.C. Hervieux uit het Frans vertaald door A. Mouback, Amsterdam, Hendrik Schelte 1712, (20)+303+912) pp. Illustrated and with music sheets.

Name: Natural History, Music, 1712 | Traité curieux des serins de canarie par J.C. Hervieux / Naaukeurige verhandeling van de kanarivogels door J.C. Hervieux uit het Frans vertaald door A. Mouback, Amsterdam, Hendrik Schelte 1712, (20)+303+912) pp. Illustrated and with music sheets.
SKU: BB110272
Price: 650.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Later half leather binding, back renewed, 17 x 11 cm, text in French and Dutch. First French edition dates from 1705. Engraved titlepage, one print of the assenblance of a bird’s cage, one double leaf with engraved music scores. Rare first Dutch translation of Hervieux’ famous book on canary birds. Some pages loose but complete copy, frontispiece loose on the middle top. Some pages with water damage.

Full title: Traité curieux des serins de canarie : contenant un description du naturel de ces oiseaux, la maniere de les apparier, de les faite nicher, d’élever les petits, de leur apprendre à chanter & à siffler, de connoitre & de guerir leurs maladies, Naaukeurige verhandeling over de kanari-vogels (…) behelzende een beschryving van den aart deezer vogels, hoe die te doen paaren, haare nesten te maaken, de jongen op te voeden, haar te leeren zingen en fluiten, waar aan haarre ziektens te kennen en hoe te geneezen. T’Amsteldam : by H. Schelte, 1712.

The Traité curieux des serins de Canarie, written in 1712 by French author Jean-Claude Hervieux de Chanteloup, is a fascinating and historically significant book about the breeding and care of canaries, known in French as serins. This work is considered one of the first comprehensive treatises dedicated to the domestication and raising of canaries, a bird that had gained significant popularity across Europe by the 18th century.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Traité curieux des serins de Canarie is its place in the history of ornithology and aviculture. Written over 300 years ago, the book reflects the early European fascination with exotic birds, particularly the canary, which had been imported from the Canary Islands. The author’s detailed approach to canary breeding was pioneering for the time, and it contributed greatly to the spread of bird-keeping as a hobby in aristocratic circles. The work provides a rare glimpse into how these birds were bred, trained, and admired, offering valuable insight into 18th-century customs and cultural practices.

Beyond the practical aspects, the book delves into the aesthetic and musical qualities of canaries, which were prized for their melodious singing. Hervieux de Chanteloup describes the different types of canary songs and even suggests methods for training the birds to enhance their vocal abilities. This focus on the beauty and song of the canary mirrors the Enlightenment period’s broader fascination with nature, art, and the cultivation of beauty through human intervention.

For historians of ornithology or anyone interested in the cultural history of animals in human society, this book is a valuable and curious document. For casual readers or modern bird breeders, it serves as a charming and insightful artifact from a time when keeping canaries was not just a hobby but an art form.

SKU: BB110272

Jean Claude Hervieux is also known as Jean Claude Hervieux de Chanteloup (1683-1747).

€ 708,50 (€ 650,00 ex. btw)

In stock