A plate from the copy of Cynographia Britannica: Consisting of Coloured Engravings of Various Breeds of Dogs existing in Great Britain sold for $14,000 (£10,525) at Christie’s New York.
Published in parts in the years 1800-05, it contains a dozen engraved plates on which are depicted 23 breeds of dogs arranged in carefully balanced groups or vignettes. The plate pictured here is titled ‘The Pointer’.
The plates were coloured under the supervision of the work’s compiler, Sydenham Edwards, and this copy bore a presentation inscription to his brother-in-law, Jonah Williamson.
The final text section, meant to accompany the engraving of a setter, was never printed. Only two other copies feature in auction records, and one those lacked four of the plates.
