BOTANIK - Nature self-printing - Ludwig, Christian Gottlieb. Ectypa vegetabilium. - Impressions of plants made from nature. With 200 plates in natural colour with hand-colouring and typographical legends. Halle, J. G. Trampe for Breitkopf in Leipzig, 1760 [-1764]. Folio (38 × 22 cm). 2 vols, 96 p. Modern green marocco binding with red spine labels, gilt spine, gilt-stamped cover fillets, gilt inner edges and marbled endpapers. Fischer 8 - Dunthorne 188 - Hunt 569 - Nissen BBI 1252 - Stafleu-Cowan 5068 - The only edition of the early series of technically mature nature self-prints, published almost simultaneously with Kniphof's "Botanica in originali" (1757-64). "Kniphof's book was issued in black and white and sometimes overcoloured, but Ludwig's in colour only. Because of the of the processes involved the book is uncommon [...] artistically and botanically the plates show both the advantages and disadvantages of coloured Naturselbstdruck" (Hunt). - Ex-libris, late 19th century owner's note on the title, French plant names presumably noted in pen by this owner on the plates. The plate numbering towards the end partly incorrect and corrected in pencil by an old hand. Text strong, plates moderately browned and foxed, green tones often oxidised and bleed through to neighbouring plates, a few impressions larger than sheet size somewhat trimmed at foot. - Good, attractively bound copy.