Impressions of the natural history of the Renaissance, pair of facsimiles of the Codex Pomar, 1990s.

A rare and beautifully printed pair of facsimile plates from the Codex Pomar, the famous 16th-century natural history manuscript commissioned for Philip II of Spain and now housed in the Biblioteca Històrica of the University of Valencia. The two plates depict a bird of paradise and a monkey, both reproduced from the remarkable natural history illustrations of the original manuscript. The bird is shown in profile, with its elongated tail feathers and richly coloured plumage, while the monkey is represented holding a red fruit. Together, the plates provide an evocative example of Renaissance natural history illustration and Spanish visual culture. The Codex Pomar contains 218 colour illustrations of animals and plants from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and is an important document of Renaissance natural history illustration. These are facsimiles of exceptionally good quality. The original facsimile edition was produced by Vicent Garcia Editores in Valencia in 1990 as a limited edition of 3,000 copies. The reproductions were made on specially manufactured Ingres paper to replicate the characteristics of the paper used in the original manuscript, giving the plates a particularly convincing tactile and visual quality. The aged paper, subtle irregularities, printed colour, and marks faithfully reproduce the appearance of the pages of the original manuscript. Each print measures approximately 33.6 × 22.5 cm (13.2 × 8.9 in). Please note: The photographs showing the framed prints, as well as the in-situ and staged interior photographs, are AI-generated images intended to suggest framing and display ideas. The frames and interiors shown are not included in the sale. The listing is for the two unframed facsimile plates from the Codex Pomar only.