PALLAS P. S. FLORA OF RUSSIA Pallas P. S. Flora Rossica, seu Stirpium Imperii Rossici per Europam et Asiam ...

PALLAS P. S. FLORA OF RUSSIA Pallas P. S. Flora Rossica, seu Stirpium Imperii Rossici per Europam et Asiam indigenarum descriptiones et icones / Iussu et auspiciis Catharinae II. augustae edidit P. S. Pallas. Petropoli: E Typographia Imperiali J. J. Weitbrecht, 1784-1788. Flora of Russia, a description of the plants of the Russian state with their images by the All Highest order and with support of her imp. Majesty, published by P. S. Pallas.
Vol. 1. - 1784. - [2], VIII, 80 p., [1] p. engrav. tit. p., 51 p. Il.; 46x29 cm; Vol. 2. - 1788. - [2], 114 p., 50 p. color il.; 45x29 cm.
The engravings are performed upon drawings of K. F. Knappe and painted in watercolor by hand.
Explanatory text under the engravings in parallel in Latin and Russian. In two whole-leather bindings of the time with bandages and gold embossing on the spine. There is a gold-embossed small state emblem
of the Russian Empire on the binding covers. Abrasions of bindings, leather fragments of spines missing.
The pages are clean, excellent coloring of the pictures.
Bookplates of the libraries of N.V. Gubar and N.K. Sinyagin, stickers of the antique shops of V.Klochkov and P. Gubar - N. Volkov. Armorial stamped bookplate of ‘The Department of Internal Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (Vol. 2). Signature - bookplate of Sergey Lifar.
Bibliography: UC XVIII (in.). No. 2150.
Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811) was a famous German and Russian scientist-encyclopedist, naturalist, geographer and traveler. In 1767 upon the invitation of Catherine II he moved to Russia. He became famous for his scientific expeditions to the unexplored lands of the Russian state.
The natural conditions of growth of some species of plants, zonality of their distribution, features of fauna are comprehensively presented in ‘Flora of Russia’. This unique catalog of Russian plants keeps its value for people of science, professionally engaged in botany and biology even today.
Illustrative material in ‘Flora of Russia’ was performed by the most famous engravers of the XVIII century. All engravings are colored by hand. The illustrations were created in the heyday of the Botanical drawing.
The engraving from this edition was taken by S. Lifar as a frontispiece to his catalogue of the auction of the Diaghilev-Lifar library, held
in Monaco.
Provenance: from the heritage of S. M. LIFAR.