Birds of Paradise, Le Paradisier rouge Oiseaux De Paradis, Réné Primevere Lesson, Indies Gallery

Birds of Paradise Catalogue

INDIES GALLERY

Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds - Year 1835 In this catalogue we are showcasing 14 sets of decorative authentic Birds of Paradise and Bower Bird Prints. These rare engravings were 1st published in Paris, France in the year 1835 in "Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux De Paradis" (Natural History Of Birds Of Paradise), the first and most comprehensive work on birds of paradise until John Gould's great monograph 20 years later.

Please enjoy reading, and don’t hesitate to send us your questions and comments. You will find all 14 sets on offer on our website by clicking on the link below.

View Paradise Birds on the Indies Gallery Website All 14 sets are by René Primevère Lesson (1794-1849), a surgeon, pharmacist and naturalist on the round-the-world scientific voyage of the corvette La Coquille (1822-1825), led by Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont D'URVILLE (1790-1842) and Louis-Isidore DUPERREY (1786-1865).

Lesson studied these birds in their natural habitat during the expedition and was the first European to observe birds of paradise alive in the wild and was the first to describe a Bird of Paradise in flight when the voyage visited New Guinea in 1824.

He brought back numerous specimens from Australia, the Moluccas and New Guinea.

The voyage concentrated on the exploration of the Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Polynesia and South America. His classic monograph on these birds includes a synopsis of species with descriptions and synonymies and a treatment of each, at least 4 of which were new to European science.

Colour-printed engraving with hand-colouring, this print effortlessly captures the exotic beauty of one of the most spectacular of all Birds of Paradise. These almost 200 year old prints are much sought after by collectors of these amazing birds and

very suitable for framing.

The Western Arfak Parotia Bird of Paradise

Western Arfak Parotia Birds of Paradise, Le Si let

The western or Arfak parotia (Parotia sefilata), is

Oiseaux De Paradis

a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird-of-paradise with a medium-length tail.

Parotia comes from the Greek parotis, a lock or curl of hair by the ear, alluding to the head wires. The specific name sefilata is derived from the Latin word 'sex', meaning six, and filum, a thread or filament. The western parotia is found only in the mountain forests of Vogelkop and the Wandammen Peninsula of Western New Guinea. The diet consists mainly of fruits such

fi

as figs, and arthropods.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 2400 . (Set of 5) Very suitable for framing

Red Bird of Paradise, Le Paradisier rouge Oiseaux

Red Bird of Paradise, Le Paradisier rouge

The red bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra, also

Oiseaux De Paradis

cendrawasih merah), is a bird-of-paradise in the genus Paradisaea, family Paradisaeidae. Large, up to 33 cm long, brown and yellow with a dark brown iris, grey legs and yellow bill. The male has an emerald green face, a pair of elongated black corkscrew-shaped tail wires, dark green feather pompoms above each eye and a train of glossy crimson red plumes with whitish tips at either side of the breast. The male measures up to 72 cm long, including the ornamental red plumes that require at least six years to fully attain. The female is similar but smaller in size, with a dark brown face and has no ornamental red plumes. The diet consists mainly of fruits, berries and arthropods. An Indonesian endemic, the red bird-of-paradise is distributed to lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands of

Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 1,150 . (Set of 2) Very suitable for framing

King Bird of Paradise, Le

King Bird of Paradise

Manucode Oiseaux De

The king bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus regius) is a

Paradis

passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae (Bird-ofparadise) family. It is the only member of the genus Cicinnurus. The king bird-of-paradise is a common and wide-ranging species, distributed throughout lowland forests of New Guinea and western satellite islands. Some populations range quite high into the hills and lower mountains, and these are poorly known as yet.

The genus name combines the Ancient Greek κικιννος/kikinnos meaning "ringlet" or "curled lock of hair" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail. The

specific epithet regius is Latin meaning "kingly"

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 2,200 (Set of 4) Very suitable for framing

Arfak Astrapia Bird of Paradise The Arfak astrapia (Astrapia nigra) is a species of astrapia, a group of birds found in the Paradiseidae family of the birds-of-paradise. In the wild, the bird has hybridised with the black sicklebill creating offspring that were once considered a distinct species, the Elliot's sicklebill "Epimachus ellioti". While some ornithologists still believe that this bird is a distinct species, possibly critically endangered or even extinct, many now think it was a hybrid between the two species. This scientific name, Astrapia nigra, consists of the words "astrapaios" meaning flashing or lightning, and "nigra" meaning black. It was actually the first species of astrapia to be discovered, so the generic name was first assigned to this bird. The Arfak astrapia is the third largest of its genus, being approximately 76 cm (30 in) long, including the tail. The male has a black head with a bluish-purple sheen, or iridescence, an elongated jet-black nape crests extending up along the sides of the neck up to the eyes on each side, a shiny, metallic greenish-yellow cape from the mantle up to the nape, very black, dense and elongated upper breast feathers, and an almost exaggeratedly long tail almost two times the length of its body.

The female is less appealing, being dark brown over most of its body and a blackish head, and sporting much shorter tail feathers. The female is also exceptionally shorter than the male. The habits of the Arfak astrapia are very little known. The birds are found mostly in cloud forests at 1,700 to 2,250 m (5,580 to 7,380 ft) at the apex of the Arfak Mountains. Foraging habits observed include the birds probing fruits, mostly pandanus fruits, off of moss and epiphytes in the montane canopy. Arthropods also recorded in the diet. Breeding habits mostly unknown; female definitely builds the nests and tend the chicks, as with most other birds-of-paradise, though the exact rearing period is unknown.

All that is known about the courtship display is that the males display on a branch upside-down with their nape crests spread out, dense breast feathers flared up, and tail standing vertically upwards above the branch.

Arfak Astrapia Bird of Paradise, L'Astrapie a Gorge Oiseaux De Paradis

Price 2,400. (Set of 3)

Condition Very good

Dimensions 30 by 21 cm.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition)

Superb Paradise Bird or Greater Lophorina

Superb Paradise Bird or Greater Lophorina, La Laphorine Superbe

The western or Arfak parotia (Parotia sefilata),

Oiseaux De Paradis

is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, bird-of-paradise with a medium-length tail.

Parotia comes from the Greek parotis, a lock or curl of hair by the ear, alluding to the head wires. The specific name sefilata is derived from the Latin word 'sex', meaning six, and filum, a thread or filament. The western parotia is found only in the mountain forests of Vogelkop and the Wandammen Peninsula of Western New Guinea. The diet consists mainly

of fruits such as figs, and arthropods.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 950. (Set of 2) Very suitable for framing

Twelve Wired Bird of Paradise

Twelve Wired Bird of Paradise, La Falcinelle Multi l Oiseaux De Paradis

The twelve-wired bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus) is a medium-sized, approximately 33 cm long, velvet black and yellow bird-of-paradise. The male has a red iris, long black bill and rich yellow plumes along his flanks. From the rear of these plumes emerge twelve blackish, wire-like filaments, which bend back near their bases to sweep forward over the bird's hindquarters. The female is a brown bird with black-barred buffy underparts. Their feet are strong, large-clawed and pink in color. They are found in flat lowlands and swamp forests, particularly throughout New Guinea and

fi

Salawati Island, Indonesia.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 1,800. (Set of 4) Very suitable for framing

Magni cent Bird of Paradise.

Magni cent Bird of Paradise, Le Di llode Magni que

The magnificent bird-of-paradise is distributed

Oiseaux De Paradise

amongst the hill and mid-mountain forests of New Guinea and surrounding islands. Like most members of the family Paradisaeidae, the male is polygamous and performs an elaborate courtship display. The generic name Cicinnurus means "curled tail" and its specific name magnificus means magnificent or splendid. The species was formerly listed in the genus Diphyllodes, which means "Double leaf-like", referring to its "leaflike" tail. As the name suggests, the magnificent bird-of-paradise is magnificent indeed. It has one of the most complex plumage arrangements in the family Paradisaeidae. It reaches around 26– 26.5 cm in total length, though the body is around 19 cm. The male has beautiful goldenyellow wings, which are overlapped by a sulfurcolored mantle, or cape, that deflect white a whitish glow, with deep red feathers bordered by black beneath the cape that form a semi-circle over the wings; there are also scruffy brownish feathers on the sides of the cape. The birds feed mainly on fruits, but also feed on animal matter (notably insects, reptiles, and amphibians), and possibly take nectar and flowers. They mainly feed solitarily, but may also feed in mixed-species

fi

fi

fi

fi

congregations.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 800. (Set of 2) Very suitable for framing

The Regent Bowerbird, Bird Of Paradise

The Regent Bowerbird, Le Sericule Prince Regent, Year

A rare complete set of five antique prints showing in great detail

1835, Réné Primevere Lesson

the wonderful The Regent Bowerbird, Bird of Paradise, in French

(set of 3)

“Caracteres du genre sericule from Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux De Paradis”. Published in Paris France in the year 1835 (first edition) in "Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux De Paradis" (Natural History Of Birds Of Paradise), the first and most comprehensive work on birds of paradise entitled until John Gould's great monograph started appearing 20 years later. By René Primevère LESSON (1794-1849), a surgeon, pharmacist, naturalist on the round-the-world scientific voyage of the corvette La Coquille (1822-1825), led by Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont D'URVILLE (1790-1842) and Louis-Isidore DUPERREY

Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 700. (Set of 3) Very suitable for framing

(1786-1865).

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition)

The Magni cent Ri ebird of Paradise

The

Magni

cent

Ri ebird of Paradise, Le

The magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a species

Ptiloris Paradisier

of passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae.

Magnificent riflebirds are widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of western New Guinea and the northern Cape York Peninsula. The diet of the magnificent riflebird consists mainly of fruits and a variety of invertebrates such as spiders, millipedes, etc.

Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a 'dancing perch'. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he jerks upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield, and producing a distinctive "woosh" sound as he flaps his wings. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with mating rights. Females subsequently build nests, incubate, brood, and feed young without male

fl

fi

fi

fl

assistance.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 650. (Set of 3) Very suitable for framing

Lesser Bird of Paradise, Le

Lesser Bird of Paradise,

Paradisier Petit Emeraude

The lesser bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to

Oiseaux De Paradis

32 cm-long, maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back. The male has a dark emerald-green throat, a pair of long tail-wires and is adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white. It resembles the larger greater bird-ofparadise, but the male of that species has a dark chest, whereas the female is entirely brown (no whitish underparts). The males are polygamous,

and perform courtship displays in leks.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 2,200. (Set of 4) Very suitable for framing

Black Sicklebill Bird of Paradise

Black Sicklebill Bird of Paradise, Le Caneliphage

The black sicklebill (Epimachus fastosus) is a large

Papou

member of the birds of paradise family, Paradisaeidae.

This species is found throughout most of central New Guinea and the Vogelkop region to the northwest in montane forests at altitudes from 1800 to 2150 m.The species' scientific name is Epimachus fastosus.

Epimachus, its generic name, means "equipped for battle", referring to this genus' machine gun-sounding calls. Its specific name, fastosus, means "proud". As being the second longest bird of paradise species (behind the Ribbon-tailed astrapia), the black sicklebill measures about 110 cm (around 43 inches) in length if the tail is included, and around 24 inches (63 cm) without the tail. The female is around 21 inches (55 cm) in length. The black sicklebill is a very bizarre species of bird of paradise. The male has a black head with a long, silver, slightly downcurved bill (not as downcurved as Drepanornis sicklebills), a bright yellow mouth, scarlet-red eyes which are surrounded by iridescent scaly feathers of typically blue-greenish color that cover most of the front of the face. The rest of the head, including the neck, is jet black. The back is jet black, but is mostly covered with iridescent scale-like feathers with metallic blue color, but can be concluded as greenish-blue in some lights. His wings are black with a less conspicuous bluish iridescence. The greatly exaggerated tail is jet black with a more visible blue iridescence, more notable at the center. On its underside, he has very soft, almost silky brownish-black plumage that ends in relatively elongated flank plumes that extend slightly past the tail, but these plumes are

more pronounced in the Brown sicklebill.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 800. (Set of 2) Very suitable for framing

Magni cent Ri ebird of Paradise

Western Arfak Parotia Birds of Paradise, Le Si let

The magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a

Oiseaux De Paradis

species of passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae. Magnificent riflebirds are widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of western New Guinea and the northern Cape York Peninsula. This riflebird is a medium-sized bird, being up to 34 cm long. The male is velvet-black bird-of-paradise with elongated black filamental flank plumes, an iridescent blue-green crown, a wide, triangle-shaped breast shield, and on central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill, yellow mouth, blackish feet and a dark brown iris. The female is brownish with dark spots and buff bars below with a white brow. The immature male resembles the male

fi

fl

fi

but with less tail plumes.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price Upon request. (Set of 5) Very suitable for framing

Emperor Bird of Paradise, male and female.

Western Arfak Parotia Birds of Paradise, Le

The emperor bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea guilielmi),

Si let Oiseaux De Paradis

also known as emperor of Germany's bird-of-paradise, is a species of bird-of-paradise. The emperor bird-ofparadise is endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is distributed in hill forests of the Huon Peninsula. The diet consists mainly of fruits, figs and arthropods. The name commemorates the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II of Germany. In January 1888, the emperor bird-of-paradise was the last birdof-paradise discovered by Carl Hunstein, who also found the blue bird-of-paradise on his journeys. These two species, along with the red bird-of-paradise, are

fi

the only Paradisaea that perform inverted display.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 850. (Set of 2) Very suitable for framing

Masked Bowerbird, Bird of Paradise.

Masked Bowerbird, Le Sericule Orange

The masked bowerbird (Sericulus aureus) is one of the most brilliantly coloured bowerbirds. The male is a medium-sized bird, up to 25 cm long, with flame orange and golden yellow plumage, elongated neck plumes and yellow-tipped black tail. It builds an "avenue-type" bower with two side walls of sticks. The female is an olive brown bird with yellow or golden below. The flame bowerbird is distributed in and endemic to rainforests of New Guinea. This species is the first bowerbird described by naturalists. Because of the male's beautifully coloured plumage, it was previously thought to be a bird-of-paradise. Indeed, the male flame bowerbird also has a courtship display along with his bower. He twists his tails and his wings to the side, and

then shakes his head quickly.

Publication Paris, 1835 (First Edition) Condition Very good Dimensions 24 by 16 cm.

Price 700. (Set of 3) Very suitable for framing

ABOUT INDIES GALLERY We buy and sell authentic antique maps, prints, books and photographs, dating from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. With over 25 years of experience in collecting and trading, our total inventory includes over 8000 genuine antiques. Whether you're an experienced collector or a first-time buyer, we offer an extensive collection in all price ranges.

Apart from private collectors, our clients include institutions such as the National Museum of Singapore, National Library of Singapore, National Library of Australia, The Louvre Abu Dhabi, University of Leiden, and many others.

Visit our Twitter Page

Twitter

Visit our Instagram Page

Instagram

Visit our Facebook Page

Facebook

Contact Us

Contact

Visit our Website

Website

Based in Singapore & Jakarta

REPRODUCTIONS We offer a part of our collection as a high-quality art prints and products.

Our primary profession is dealing with authentic, antique maps and prints.

But for years, people have marvelled over our original material, asking if we could make them at a fraction of the cost of the originals. Eventually, we gave in and "Old East Indies - Heritage Art Collection" was born.

You will find our collection of reproduced maps & prints in the links below,

Reproductions website

CLICK HERE

Reproductions Instagram page CLICK HERE

Birds of Paradise Catalogue

INDIES GALLERY