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Trying to get to the origin of the Gorgon print (Catoblepas) on the title page of Topsell's four-footed beasts (1607) I found a similar work by Gesner (1551) who is mentioned by Topsell as his main(?) source. The catobleps is extensively described there too, but with no picture. From another promising writer, Michaël Herus [De Quadrupedibus], I found his Vierfüßige Tiere, but no catoblepas.
On a sidetrack I found Jan Jonston (1603) has another well known picture of the catoblepas. Two other pictures of a cat(oblepas) from 1491 and 1536 are in Julia Czapla but not like Topsell's.
Ger Hungerink 11 june 2019
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The history of four-footed beasts, taken principally from the Historiae animalium on Conrad Gesner,
From Conradus Gesner,.. by Edward Topsell 1607
The full text [seach for GORGON]
https://archive.org/stream/curiouscreatures00ashtiala/curiouscreatures00ashtiala_djvu.txt
The book as pdf:
https://ia802304.us.archive.org/9/items/curiouscreatures00ashtiala/curiouscreatures00ashtiala.pdf
TEXT, preface:
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A13820.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext
writers:
The Catalogue of the Authors which haue wrote of Beasts
in: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A13820.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext
search for "The Catalogue of the Authors"
Gesner is not mentioned here (again)
Promising is under GERMAN AVTHORS:
Michaël Herus - De Quadrupedibus.
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About Gesner.
Historiæ animalivm ... vol 1
by Gessner, Conrad, 1516-1565; Rondelet, Guillaume, 1507-1566; Belon, Pierre, 1517?-1564; Carronus, Jacobus; Wolf, Hans Kaspar, 1532-1601
Publication date 1551
De Catoblepa vel Catobleponte Libyca
fera Tavro vel vitvlo simili.
Extensive text pages 152-154
NO IMAGE !
https://archive.org/details/gri_33125012648057/page/n193
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About Michaël Herus (Michael Herr)
Michaël Herus - De Quadrupedibus. 1546
"Gründlicher Underricht, wahrhaffte und eygentliche Be?chreibung wunderbarlicher ?eltz?amer Art, Natur, Krafft und Eygen?chafft aller vierfü??igen Thier" u. ?. w.
Straßburg, 1546, gedruckt bei Balth. Beck.
I did not read it all. however no catoblas or gorgon found:
https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN784953139&PHYSID=PHYS_0015&view=overview-info&DMDID=
http://dfg-viewer.de/show/?set%5Bmets%5D=https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/metsresolver/PPN784953139&set%5Bimage%5D=1
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About Jan Jonston 1603
https://www2.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/jonston/vol4/te04.html
Liber II.De Quadrupedibus Bisulcis, Tit. 1 De Bisulcis terrestribus, Cap. 1-2, Art. 5 (= S. 41-79)
Image: Catoblepa Urus Liibicus. [Lijbicus]
jonst075.jpg Catoblepa.jpg
https://www2.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/jonston/vol4/jpg/s075.html
Text:
https://www2.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/jonston/vol4/Jonston_historia_naturalis_4.html
Only a picture ??? page 56+
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About Julia Czapla
Feles animal est familiare ac domesticus
Julia Czapla
catoblepas/katoblepas page 64/66
Picture 1491 il.2 cat and katoblepas at spring
Picture 1536 il.3 cat and katoblepas at spring
Google translate:
The representation of the cat and katoblepasa were put together and the animals were tried to look like related species that differ primarily in size.
The illustration was only meant to suggest behaviors and characteristics of Il. 2.
described in the text. Woodcut with a cat and katoblepasem made for release from 1491 [il. 2] shows two very broadly outlined sitting four-legged animals about cats
silhouettes, slightly too long mouths and flat ears. They are depicted on the background of a spring spewing among rocks, which is to refer to the purity of a cat from one, and to the territory inhabited by katoblepasa on the other.
Feles_animal_est_familiare_ac_domesticu.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/37166621/_Feles_animal_est_familiare_ac_domesticus_._Przedstawienia_kota_domowego_w_kompendiach_przyrodniczych_XVI_w
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