Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century

(9)
Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century image
ISBN-10:

1784917273

ISBN-13:

9781784917272

Released: May 24, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 316 pages
Related ISBN: 9781789698107

Description:

The German gem-engraver, medallist, and amateur scholar Lorenz Natter (1705- 1763), was so impressed by the size and quality of the collections of ancient and later engraved gems which he found in Britain that he proposed the publication of an extraordinarily ambitious catalogue – Museum Britannicum – which would present engravings and descriptions of the most important pieces. He made considerable progress to this end, producing several hundred drawings, but in time he decided to abandon the near completed project in the light of the apparent lack of interest shown in Britain. Only one of the intended plates in its final form ever appeared, in a catalogue which he published separately for Lord Bessborough’s collection. On Natter’s death the single copy of his magnum opus vanished mysteriously, presumed lost forever. All hope of recovering Natter’s unpublished papers seemed vain, and their very existence had come to be doubted. Yet they were to be found more than two hundred years after his death, in Spring 1975, when the classical scholar and renowned expert in gems, Oleg Neverov, chanced upon them at the bottom of a pile of papers in the archives of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Neverov and his colleague Julia Kagan carried out the initial research on the Hermitage manuscripts and produced the first published account of this archival treasure. The present volume builds upon their earlier work to produce the first comprehensive publication of Museum Britannicum, offering full discussion in English and presenting Natter’s drawings and comments alongside modern information on the gems that can be identified and located through fresh research. This book is the result of a ten-year collaboration between scholars on the Beazley Archive gems research programme at Oxford’s Classical Art Research Centre and the State Hermitage Museum. It fulfills Natter’s vision for the Museum Britannicum – albeit two and a half centuries late – to the benefit of art historians, cultural historians, curators, and gem-lovers of today.

Table of Contents

Preface

PART 1: I. An Anglo-Russian Project

II. Lorenz Natter. Early Career

III. Natter in Britain

IV. Natter in Russia

V. The Museum Britannicum Rediscovered

VI. Afterword

PART 2: VII. The Museum Britannicum: the catalogue and drawings

VIII. The Collectors and their Gems

IX. Lorenz Natter’s own Collection

X. Natter’s own Index of the Museum Britannicum

XI. Natter’s Treatise and miscellaneous drawings

Index of gem subjects

Index of inscriptions

General Index to Part 1, and VIII

Best prices to buy, sell, or rent ISBN 9781784917272




Frequently Asked Questions about Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century

You can buy the Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century book at one of 20+ online bookstores with BookScouter, the website that helps find the best deal across the web. Currently, the best offer comes from and is $ for the .

The price for the book starts from $113.99 on Amazon and is available from 6 sellers at the moment.

If you’re interested in selling back the Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century book, you can always look up BookScouter for the best deal. BookScouter checks 30+ buyback vendors with a single search and gives you actual information on buyback pricing instantly.

As for the Natter’s Museum Britannicum: British gem collections and collectors of the mid-eighteenth century book, the best buyback offer comes from and is $ for the book in good condition.

Not enough insights yet.

Not enough insights yet.