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Northern Pintail Drake - Antique Bird Engraving by Nozeman and Sepp, 1789
£605 ($800, €710)
Period original, not a reproduction.
Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.
- Date
- 1789
- Size
- 14.6 × 20.9 in (37 × 53 cm)
- Condition
- Good. Good with general age-toning, small tears and a narrow upper margin; strong plate mark. Minimal waviness in paper. Text page in very good condition with light, even toning, one small edge tear and a few faint marginal spots.
- Period
- 18th century
- Artist or book
- Nozeman and Sepp
- Section
- Birds
- Reference
- f_25805962
Northern Pintail Drake - Antique Bird Engraving by Nozeman and Sepp, 1789
This hand-coloured copperplate engraving, titled “Anas acuta, Mas,” depicts the male northern pintail (Dutch: pijlstaart) with its sleek chocolate head, clean white neck stripe, and long needle-like tail streamers. A widely distributed duck, the pintail breeds across northern Europe, Asia, and North America and migrates south to winter toward the equator; unlike many ducks, it is not divided into geographic subspecies (Eaton’s pintail now treated separately).
From Nederlandsche Vogelen; volgens hunne huishouding, aert en eigenschappen beschreeven (Amsterdam, 1770–1829), the landmark first survey of Dutch birds by Cornelis Nozeman, Martinus Houttuyn, and the Sepp family. Plates were printed on laid paper and finished by hand for lifelike colour and detail. The accompanying original Dutch text pages (connected to each other) provide rich historical and scientific observations on the species, its behaviour, nesting habits, and physical characteristics. With Dutch names "pylstaart zee-eend" noted.
Condition: Good with general age-toning, small tears and a narrow upper margin; strong plate mark. Minimal waviness in paper. Text page in very good condition with light, even toning, one small edge tear and a few faint marginal spots.
Framing tips: A warm cream mount with a dark walnut or ebonised frame complements the drake’s earthy browns and greys; a slim gilt slip adds a refined natural-history look. Use UV-protective glazing to preserve the hand colour.
