Marine Botanical Fossils. Encrinus, Stone Lily with cross-sections, c1809.

by Rees, Abraham

Extinct Crinoid, Encrinus liliformis, Stone Lily antique print. One of the most famous Fossils, from the Triassic period in Central Europe around 230 million years ago, when large areas were covered with an inland sea.

Original copperplate engraving by Milton after a drawing by Donovan for The New Cyclopaedia compiled by Abraham Rees and published between 1810 and 1818 by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown of Paternoster Row in London. 

After working for many years revising Chambers’ Encyclopaedia, between 1802 and 1820 Rees produced the greatest encyclopaedia of the early 19th century. The Cyclopaedia or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature by Rees was a completely original, finely illustrated work. Employing foremost artists and experts in each field, seven large volumes, each contained over 240 engraved portraits of familiar and unusual subjects.

This wonderful engraving has fine later hand-colour. Full page shown, measuring 265 x 205mm (10.5 x 8 inches).