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ID #SA1188163
FOR SALE
£440
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A Pair of Rare 18th Century Engravings of Hippo by Buffon
For sale by The Antiques Hound
for sale €515     $559
£440
The Antiques Hound

The Antiques Hound

Sellingantiques Verified Since Dec 2025
Browse dealers 58 items
  • About Us
    Dealing in compact georgian and later furniture and original paintings
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Id #SA1188163
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A Pair of Rare 18th Century Engravings of Hippo by Buffon

18th century
Description

A charming pair of 18th century engravings of a male and a female hippo with original hand colouring.

Artist: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788).

Copperplate engraving with hand colouring on laid, watermarked paper.

These are original plates from Buffon’s Natural History of Four Legged Animals dated 1786 and the quality and condition of the handmade paper and colouring is exceptional.

This delightful pair of hippo are vibrantly hand coloured and are depicted smiling – a human trait often attributed by 18th and 19th century naturalists to the subjects in their illustrations!

Mounted in off-white with a bespoke gilt wooden reeded frame. Supplied glazed and ready to hang.

Dimensions 31cm x 24cm each.

Please note: these are originals not prints or reproductions.

Physical Dimensions
Height
31cm (12.20")
Width
24cm (9.45")
Depth
2cm (0.79")
Declaration

The Antiques Hound has dated these 18th Century Hippo Prints to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1188163
Description
A charming pair of 18th century engravings of a male and a female hippo with original hand colouring.

Artist: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788).

Copperplate engraving with hand colouring on laid, watermarked paper.

“
These are original plates from Buffon’s Natural History of Four Legged Animals dated 1786 and the quality and condition of the handmade paper and colouring is exceptional.
The Antiques Hound
fig 1. A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames.
fig 1. A Pair of Rare 18th Century Engravings of Hippo by Buffon

This delightful pair of hippo are vibrantly hand coloured and are depicted smiling – a human trait often attributed by 18th and 19th century naturalists to the subjects in their illustrations!

Mounted in off-white with a bespoke gilt wooden reeded frame. Supplied glazed and ready to hang.

Dimensions 31cm x 24cm each.

Please note: these are originals not prints or reproductions.

Height
31cm (12.20")
Width
24cm (9.45")
Depth
2cm (0.79")
Date of Manufacture

The Antiques Hound has dated these 18th Century Hippo Prints to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1188163
The Antiques Hound
The Antiques Hound
Sellingantiques verified Since Dec 2025

Dealing in compact georgian and later furniture and original paintings

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the The Antiques Hound Profile Page

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A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames.
1 / 5
Archive I A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames.

A Pair of Rare 18th Century Engravings of Hippo by Buffon

Archive II A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames. View II
Archive III A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames. View III
Archive IV A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames. View IV
Archive V A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames. View V
Enlarged Archival View
The Antiques Hound

The Antiques Hound
Telephone 07762 954865
Location
Bristol
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/antiqueshound
Verified Since Dec 2025
Items For Sale 58
Items Sold 35
The Antiques Hound
The Antiques Hound
Verified Since Dec 2025
View Dealer Info
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/antiqueshound
Verified
Dec 2025
For Sale
58
Sold
35
A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames.
A Pair of Rare 18th Century Engravings of Hippo by Buffon
Ref: SA1188163
A pair of 18th-century hand-coloured engravings depicting hippopotamuses, mounted in gold reeded frames.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectFramed Prints
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialPaper, Giltwood, Glass
  • ColourGold
  • MotifsReeded gilt frame, Hand-coloured zoological illustration, White window mount
  • SizeH 31 cm (12 in) x W 24 cm (9 in) x D 2 cm (1 in)

A pair of 18th-century Georgian framed prints depicting hand-coloured zoological illustrations of a male and a female hippopotamus by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, set within white window mounts under glass. The paper incorporates original hand colouring showing brown animals, green grass, blue sky and water, and rocky outcrops, secured inside gold reeded giltwood frames with multi-linear step mouldings and a bright metallic finish, displayed against a pink and white ikat patterned fabric background. Each piece measures 31 cm high, 24 cm wide, and 2 cm deep. Suitable for placement above a sideboard in a gentleman's library, study, or hallway, these pieces bring period character to interior settings. The antique copperplate engravings on watermarked laid paper demonstrate traditional framing methods with a clean white mount board separating the artwork from the moulded timber surround.

FAQs

Buffon natural history engravings are 18th-century copperplate prints commissioned for Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffons landmark publication, Histoire Naturelle. These prints document animal and plant species with detailed scientific illustrations created by leading artists and engravers of the era.

These works were produced by etching or engraving designs onto copper plates, which were then inked and pressed onto handmade rag paper. The resulting black-and-white impressions were frequently hand-coloured using watercolour pigments.

Authentic period engravings typically display a visible plate mark indented into the paper around the image border. The paper itself often features a chain-line texture or watermark characteristic of laid paper, along with hand-applied pigments rather than modern printed dots.

A pair or series of natural history prints works effectively when hung symmetrically above a sideboard, console table, or along a hallway wall. Framing them in gilded or dark timber frames allows them to complement both traditional schemes and modern minimalist settings.

To prevent fading and paper degradation, mount antique prints using acid-free matting and UV-filtering glass. Display the artwork away from direct sunlight, radiators, and areas with fluctuating humidity.
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