Apr. 27, 2011 at 5:46pm
Tomorrow happens to be my birthday and just in case my family is still trying to come up with the perfect gift, I’d like to suggest they pick up a copy of The Besler Florilegium. Originally published in the 17th century, it is one of the most ambitious books ever produced on ornamental flowering plants. The florilegium contains more than 1,000 drawings of every variety of plant found in Basilius Besler’s monumental Garden at Eichstättthe. It took Besler and his team of calligraphers, painters and engravers an astounding sixteen years to complete. Each of the lavishly hand-coloured first editions still in existence is valued at over one million dollars…but if my children can’t track one of those down, I’d settle for the facsimile edition, originally published in 1989 by Harry N. Abrams. 

Tomorrow happens to be my birthday and just in case my family is still trying to come up with the perfect gift, I’d like to suggest they pick up a copy of The Besler Florilegium. Originally published in the 17th century, it is one of the most ambitious books ever produced on ornamental flowering plants.

The florilegium contains more than 1,000 drawings of every variety of plant found in Basilius Besler’s monumental Garden at Eichstättthe. It took Besler and his team of calligraphers, painters and engravers an astounding sixteen years to complete.

Each of the lavishly hand-coloured first editions still in existence is valued at over one million dollars…but if my children can’t track one of those down, I’d settle for the facsimile edition, originally published in 1989 by Harry N. Abrams.