Antique South American Horned Frog, 1798

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Antique south american horned frog engraving – bertuch, c. 1807 original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting an extraordinary south american … Read more Antique south american horned frog engraving – bertuch, c. 1807 original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting an extraordinary south american horned frog, published in friedrich justin bertuch’s celebrated “bilderbuch für kinder” in weimar in the early 19th century. The plate is headed “amphibien xxvi / amphibia xxvi / amphibies xxvi” and belongs to bertuch’s series of remarkable amphibians. The horned frog historical name: rana cornuta common names: horned frog / south american horned frog / horned toad the plate shows the animal in a large three-quarter view, accompanied by a separate enlarged study of its remarkable head and eye. The frog takes its name from the conspicuous pointed projections above its eyes, which resemble small horns. Its broad head, enormous mouth and heavily patterned body give it an almost fantastical appearance. Bertuch describes the animal as “die gehörnte kröte” – the horned toad – and records it from south america, including brazil and the island of santa catarina. Particularly interesting is bertuch’s statement that earlier european illustrations of the animal had been based on faded specimens preserved in alcohol and were therefore inaccurate. The present illustration was instead derived from a study made from life by the german naturalist and explorer wilhelm gottlieb tilesius (1769–1857), allowing its remarkable coloration and physical characteristics to be represented much more accurately. Bertuch specifically draws attention to the animal’s unusual coloration: a yellowish-brown body covered with pointed warts and decorated with violet-blue markings edged in white, together with areas of brilliant green and reddish-yellow horn-like eyelids. The main figure, marked a, is shown reduced in size, while detail b illustrates the head at natural size. Bertuch even records an exceptionally large specimen weighing approximately four pounds. See less