Amsterdam: the heirs of F. Houttuyn, 1770-75. Six parts in three volumes. First Dutch edition. 4to. (x), 44, (1), 45-82; (ii), 83-118; (ii), 34; (ii), 35-62; (ii), 63-117, (1), (24, index) pp. Illustrated with 190 fine hand-colored engraved plates by J.A. Joninger, J.A. Eisenmann, A. Hoffer, and others, after Knorr, C. Dietsch, J. Wartenaar, and others. Full contemporary marbled calf, decorated in gilt, red morocco spine labels, rubbing to joints and extremities, small loss to spine label of second volume; gilt guaffred edges; gift book-plate on front paste-down of each volume; circular ink stamp at bottom of each title-page; some tape residue on endpapers of each volume.

A handsome hand-colored set of this first Dutch edition of German engraver and naturalist Georg Wolfgang Knorr's celebrated work on shells. First published in Nuremburg between 1757-1773, Knorr collaborated on this work with Nuremburg collector and artist, Dr. Martinus Houttuyn, who provided assistance with the text and provided shells from his own collection that form part of the work's illustrations.