Ferrer de Valdecebro - Govierno general, moral, y político hallado en las aves más generosas y nobles - 1683

A volume in small 4º (21.2 x 15.2 cm) bound in antique parchment, antique labelling on the spine.
20 sheets, including the copper-engraved allegoric frontispiece and the typographic title page, 432 pp., 16 table sheets. 18 half-page copper engravings depicting all varieties of birds described.

Second edition, expanded with respect to the first of 1668, with a curious ‘Apéndice sobre aves monstruosas en Gobierno general, moral y político, hallado en las aves...’. It includes the ‘páxaro opymaco, el ave harpya, el páxaro morfex, y el ave Pegaso’ among others.

More than an ornithological treatise, it is a kind of moral bestiary that includes not only birds, but mythological creatures, even the unicorn. It is inspired by emblematic literature, but, being just as erudite, it excludes the enigma as it was primarily aimed at preachers who wanted to improve the morality of the people. However, it is accompanied by 18th woodcuts depicting the animals described and moralised, made by Diego de Obregón. It follows the following structure: image of the animal engraved in woodcut, description, habitat and characteristics of each animal, followed by a succession of symbolisms and morals extracted from all of the above.

The side and bottom margin of the frontispiece is somewhat short, almost without the plate.
Handwritten annotations of the previous owner at the bottom of the cover.

It's a very rare and esteemed work.

Palau, note 90595.