Abu Dhabi: A 16th century book estimated to be worth Dh11 million, featuring drawings of birds, is on show at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which ends tomorrow, May 28.
Famous French bookshop Librairie Clavreuil, established in 1901, which specialises in rare books, is displaying the unique work by Pierre Gourdel, written in 1550. It is regarded as one of the most valuable ornithological books in the world and the first French book documenting the world of birds.
Gourdel’s book is a composition of historical heritage and scientific and artistic wonders, as an album of watercolors, consisting of 50 sheets bearing 60 drawings of different types of birds found in Europe and abroad during the mid-16th century era. The book transports visitors to the French Renaissance with its naturally antiqued French calfskin covers adorned with gold embellishments, all housed in a modern Moroccan green leather clamshell box.
