Exotic Entomology and Fabulous Beasts

July 5, 2003 6:42 AM

Exotic Entomology. 'Provided for your delight are a small number of the world's butterflies and moths, taken from Dru Drury's three-volume monograph entitled Illustrations of Exotic Entomology.'
Related :- Schreber's Fabulous Beasts. 'In 1774 Johann Christian Dan Schreber authored a multivolume set of books entitled Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Focusing on mammals of the world, these books were lavishly illustrated with 755 hand-colored plates ... '
posted by plep (8 comments total)

Thanks Plep! Beautiful stuff!

But if this P. gibbosus sunning himself on a rock is showing what I think he is, maybe the second link should be renamed Schreber's Horny & Lewd Beasts ...note the smile & the gleam in his eye ...
posted by Jos Bleau at 7:53 AM on July 5, 2003

Wow. Fabulous, as usual. Thanks, plep.
posted by jokeefe at 8:35 AM on July 5, 2003

This must be where the creators of The Wizard of Oz got their inspiration for the Cowardly Lion's face - now that's an amazing resemblance! I guess it's true what they say...all those lions look alike. This is wonderful. Thanks, plep - from your eyes to my weblog, I always say ;)
posted by iconomy at 8:49 AM on July 5, 2003

And for those who read the comments before the links:

...in most instances the artists had never seen the animals they were rendering onto paper. Explorers would return from their travels and describe the animals in question to the artists. The end result was that some of the drawings, though representing real animals, looked more like they had come from someone's nightmares.

Mighty fine, plep!
posted by G_Ask at 9:06 AM on July 5, 2003

Yes, the fabulous beasts are, well, fantastic. I noticed especially (as well) the two that Jos Bleau and iconomy pointed out. One also has to love this horny fellow, and the apparent self-possession of this creature.
posted by taz at 10:56 AM on July 5, 2003

Yes, plep, thanks for the beasties. My faves: the bear going for the honey and fighting off bees, and the Malaysian stink badger...
posted by carter at 11:06 AM on July 5, 2003

fuck me! how the hell do u find this stuff?! [do i have to say this is beyond good]. thanks!
posted by poopy at 1:28 PM on July 5, 2003

Nabokov would have approved.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:02 PM on July 5, 2003