Marine Life · 19th century
€ 110
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good. Moderate offsetting and a few light brownish spots outside the image. Aged paper with typically warm, yellowish-brown hue. Please study the image carefully.
The print features a collection of marine gastropod mollusks, more commonly known as snails, each with distinctive shell shapes and ornamentations:
1. **Cérith (Cerithium)**: This is likely a depiction of a cerith, a type of sea snail with a high-spired shell and variable patterns, often found in marine and brackish waters.
2. **Rocher (Murex)**: Known for its spiny and elaborately ornamented shell, the murex is a predatory sea snail that has been historically used to produce purple dye.
3. **Apollo Gyrin (Turbinella pyrum)**: Also known as the chank shell, these snails have a heavy, convoluted shell and are significant in various cultural and religious contexts.
4. **Struthiolaire (Struthiolaria)**: Characterized by its nodulose or bumpy shell, this snail's design is quite distinct and recognizable.
5. **Fasciolaire (Fasciolaria)**: A genus of large sea snails with a spiral shell, often with a siphonal canal extending from the aperture.
6. **Ptérocère (Pterocera)**: Also known as the "scorpion conch" due to its long, finger-like projections, this snail's shell is a spectacular sight.
7. **Rostellaire (Rostellaria)**: This snail has a long, tapering shell with a developed siphonal canal, giving it a tusk-like appearance.
The print is a hand-colored engraving, a common practice in the 19th century for scientific illustration, which allowed for detailed and precise visual representation of specimens. This artistic technique served both educational and aesthetic purposes.
