Harp Shells

41.5 x 26.5 cm (16.2 x 10.5 inches)

This large antique copper plate engraving is by Georg Eberhard Rumphius. He was a notable botanist who studied the fauna and flora of the Spice Islands in Indonesia in the 17th century.

It was made in 1711 for Rumphius' best known work "The Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet" (D'Amboinsche Rariteitkamer) which depicted some of the shells and marine life that had been sold to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici.

The engraving is printed on chain-linked paper with strong plate marks and is in excellent condition. This is a genuine antique over 300 years old and is not a reproduction.