Kniphof, J. H.
Botanica in originali pharmaceutica, das ist: Lebendig-Officinal-Kräuterbuch, in welchen alle in denen Apothecken gebräuchlichen Kräuter so zu bekommen auf eine neue Methode von denen lebendigen ausgetruckneten Kräutern selbst abgedrucket sind.
Erfurt, J. M. Funcke, 1733. In two volumes. Folio (31.0 x 19.8 cm). Title page with woodcut initial on verso; 182 pp. ([1]-116; [117]-182); 200 nature-printed plates [1-100; 101-200] with additional hand-colouring. Uniform contemporary boards. Spines with paper label with title written in ink in an old hand.
The very rare work of the medical doctor from Erfurt, Germany, Johannes Hieronymus Kniphof (1704-1763). This work was illustrated using Kniphof's own natural printing technique, which he promoted in collaboration with the Erfurter printer Johann Michael Funcke. They were the first to commercially exploit the invention of nature-printing. Kniphof arranged the plants so that they had a natural, unpretentious appearance. Everything characteristic had to stand out clearly (see Fischer).The plates are captioned with various ornamented black labels bearing the plant name and number in white. Capital letters indicate which part of the plant are to be used. This is the main work, completed with an index. It was first published, in the same year, as an atlas only, without text (Nissen BBI, 1073). Two years later, another 16 plates were issued, but these are often not included. This was followed by several other extensions. Marginalia, in an old hand, next to many captions. Light toning or browning and scattered spotting throughout; more heavily in several text leaves, and a few plates. Some plates closely trimmed in the margin. Bindings worn and chipped. Even with these minor defects, this remains a very charming book with great appeal by the attractive plates, printed in an extremely uncommon way of printing in the 18th century. Fischer, Naturselbstdruck, 5; Nissen BBI, 1074. Dunthorne 169; Pritzel 4749. Not in Stafleu and Cowan, who only report two later editions.
