D'Amboinsche rariteitkamer, behelzende eene beschryvinge van allerhande zoo weeke als harde schaalvisschen, te weeten raare krabben, kreeften, en diergelyke zeedieren, als mede allerhande hoorntjes en schulpen, die men in d'Amboinsche Zee vindt: daar benevens zommige mineraalen, gesteenten, en soorten van aarde die in d'Amboinsche, en zommige omleggende eilanden gevonden worden. -

Amsterdam, F. Halma, 1705.Folio. Contemporary vellum. With engraved alligorical frontispiece by Jan Goere, title-page printed in red and black and with engraved vignette by J. Punt, engraved portrait of the author, 5 large engraved vignettes and 60 beautifully engraved plates attributed to Maria Sybilla Merian. (28),340,(43) pp.First published in 1705. - Georg Everhard Rumphius (1628-1702) entered the VOC's service in 1652 and arrived in Ambon in 1653, where he was successively appointed to the ranks of ensign, assistant merchant and merchant and where he died in 1702. He became blind in 1670, but worked on, by help of an assistant. Another disaster followed in 1674 when his wife and daughter died during an earthquake and in 1687 his library, including his manuscripts and drawings, were destroyed by fire. But he started again from the outset. 'G.E. Rumphius, also known as the 'Indian Pliny', was one of the great tropical naturalists of the seventeenth century. Born in Germany, he spent most of his life in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, stationed on the island of Ambon in eastern Indonesia. He wrote two major works; this one, the first modern work on tropical fauna, was published posthumously in Dutch in 1705. A classic text of natural history. The descriptions in The Ambonese curiosity cabinet cover the gamut of organisms found in the seas surrounding Ambon - crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, mussels - as well as minerals and plants. A series of exquisite etchings accompanies the descriptions. This is the first great natural history of tropical marine life. Remarkable for its detailed observations of living animals, habitats, and fisheries, as well as the accuracy of its morphological descriptions and classifications, the entire work reflects Rumphius's practical talents as engineer, merchant, and student of local cultures, as well as pioneer naturalist. Rumphius provides an invaluable window on the richness of tropical nature as it used to be' (from the wrappers of the reprint of this book by E.M. Beekman, 1999). Recent research has proved that most of the plates are after drawings by Maria Sybilla Merian, in our copy they are strong and dark impressions. Landwehr, VOC, 591; Nissen ZBI 3518; Ruinen 26; Nieuwenhuys, Mirror of the Indies, p.28-32.