About this sheet
Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting five remarkable crested and ornamental birds, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” around the turn of the 19th century.
The plate is titled “Vögel CIV / Oiseaux CIV” and shows five exotic birds belonging principally to the curassow and guan family (Cracidae), birds native to the tropical regions of Central and South America.
The birds depicted include:
Fig. 1 – Razor-billed Curassow / Mitu (Mitu mitu or closely related Mitu species), a large South American curassow distinguished by its striking blue-black plumage, blue breast and conspicuous red bill and facial area.
Fig. 2 – Crested Curassow (Crax alector / Crax species), shown with the characteristic curled crest of feathers on its head and rich dark brown plumage.
Fig. 3 – Wattled Curassow / Globose Curassow (Crax globulosa), a dark-plumaged South American curassow recognizable by its ornamental head and brightly colored bill area.
Fig. 4 – Blue or Crested Guan / Piping Guan (Pipile species), represented here with deep blue plumage, a prominent crest and long tail.
Fig. 5 – Guan / Penelope species, a long-tailed tropical American gamebird with the characteristic bare reddish throat and richly colored wing feathers.
The terminology and classification of these birds have changed considerably since Bertuch’s time. The identifications reflect the historic bird types represented on the plate; several species were known under different scientific and vernacular names in late 18th- and early 19th-century ornithological literature.
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children), first published in Weimar in 1790, became one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Its hundreds of engraved and hand-colored plates introduced readers to animals, plants, geography, science, technology, antiquity and cultures from around the world.
This particularly decorative ornithological plate is notable for its five large exotic birds and attractive original hand coloring, with strong shades of blue, green, red, pink and brown.
Technique: Original hand-colored copper engraving
Publisher: Friedrich Justin Bertuch
Publication: Bilderbuch für Kinder
Place: Weimar, Germany
Date: circa 1800
Plate: Vögel CIV / Oiseaux CIV
Subject: Curassows, Guans, Tropical Birds, Ornithology, Natural History
Condition:
Good antique condition with overall age-related toning, scattered foxing and spotting, and minor marks and imperfections consistent with its age. The original hand coloring remains attractive and well preserved. Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
The engraving is inserted in an acid-free matting board.
Please note: This is an original antique hand-colored copper engraving from around 1800, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.
Other companion bird and natural-history plates from Bertuch’s “Bilderbuch für Kinder” are also available separately.
Keywords: Friedrich Justin Bertuch, Bilderbuch für Kinder, antique bird print, curassow print, crested curassow, wattled curassow, razor-billed curassow, guan, piping guan, Crax, Mitu, Penelope, Pipile, tropical birds, South American birds, exotic bird engraving, antique ornithology, hand-colored copper engraving, natural history illustration, German engraving, Weimar, circa 1800, original antique print, antique zoological print
