Leipzig and Wien, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, [1899]-1904. Small folio (36.5 x 28 cm). With 100 breathtakingly beautiful, mostly lithographed plates of which the majority are coloured or tinted, some with overlays. Original uniform printed Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) wrappers, contained in the two uniform, original pictorial boxes with red edges and silk ribbon.

First edition, first printing, of this famous and marvellous work. Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (1834-1919) was the man who popularized Charles Darwin's work in Germany. He was a doctor, then became a professor in comparative anatomy, as well as a zoologist and a philosopher, but he was also a great artist, as is shown on these very special plates. This work had a considerable influence on decorative design in the "Jugendstil" or "Art Nouveau" period during the beginning of the 20th century and depicts bizarre, real forms and structures found in animal and plant life. Most of the plates are chromolithographs, some are plain lithographs. Others are photographic plates, halftone plates or combinations of different techniques, which makes it a special publication in regard to printing techniques. This book was first issued in 11 parts with pictorial wrappers [this copy]; once the total printing was finished in 1904, a bound version was made too. The latter is more common. Some fraying to spines of a few wrappers, the very occasional faint spot, but almost none to the plates. One box with some minor staining to cloth, but overall this set is in a near fine condition, which is very rare indeed. Nissen ZBI, 1783; Schneider-Henn, Ornament und Dekoration, 220.