[Florence, 1776]. Two single sheets (each 47.1 x 35.8 cm). Hand-coloured and captioned.

Two fine and very rare counterproof illustrations, in original hand-colouring, of falcons, commissioned by the Italian naturalist and friend of Linnaeus, Francesco Saverio Manetti (1723-1785) and based on a bird in the collection of Marchese Giovanni Gerini. These falcons are illustrated on Plates 37 and 48 of the published work. Manetti employed two artists, Lorenzo Lorenzi and Violante Vanni. These works could thus be by either of them. These, however, are certainly not the published prints (taken from his book, which are just "rare"), because the images are reversed. Therefore, these are either original drawings, or counterproofs. When an object, such as a bird, is symmetrical, it does make sense that an engraver produces a mirror image; whereas the opposite, viz,. drawing a watercolour in reverse, after a published engraving, does not make sense. Moreover, they lack a plate impression, which is always present in a direct print, but always absent in originals and counterproofs, because no copper plate is used. The presence of ultra-thin, ink lines point towards counterproofs. Counterproofs like these are known from only two sets. One is in the library of the University of Pisa, and was believed to be the set of original watercolour drawings after which the book plates were engraved, but after closer examination they showed fine, weak ink outlines, as can be expected from counterproofs, and one plate even had the engraved name of one of the artists present, in mirror image. The second set was sold at Christie's in 2002 and fetched well over €200,000. The whereabouts of the original watercolours remains unknown. These two plates are, or may belong, to a third, unknown set. It is likely that (partial) sets were made on special request by Manetti, or his patrons. In contrast to some other 18th-century books, they were not offered for sale. Sitwell regards Manetti's work as "one of the half-dozen or so Great Bird Books in the collector's sense"; counterproof plates are not just "Great", but truly outstanding. Falcons are among the most sought-after illustrated birds, and this set is definitely an excellent, clean, unique item. Sitwell, Fine Bird Books, p. 120. Neither in Anker nor in Zimmer.