Credit: © The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.9974
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    ‘The male Zebra’

    Date
    1751
    Creator
    George Edwards (1694 - 1773, British) , Ornithologist
    Object type
    Library reference
    38029
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 286mm
    width (print): 220mm
    Subject
    Biology
       > Zoology
    Content object
    nature
       > animal
    Description
    Zoological study of a male Zebra, [type unknown, most likely the Plains Zebra, Equus quagga] posed in a landscape with a slightly raised left rear leg, showing the hoof.

    Plate 222 from chapter 12 of Gleanings of natural history, exhibiting figures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants, &c..., by George Edwards, volume 1 (London, for the author, 1758). The author describes the animal within the text: “This animal is about the bigness of a mule, or a middle-sized saddle-horse: its general shape is like a well-made horse. This figure was taken from a skin stuffed, which is now preserved in the Royal College of Physicians, London. I have seen many skins which have all been uniform in their marks and colours...My seeing one of these animals alive, at the palace of his late Royal Highness Frederick Prince of Wales, at Kew, helped me very much to amend my first draught.”

    The plate is inscribed: “ZEBRA mas, sive Assinus sylvestris Africanus. Drawn from a stuff’d Skin in the Royal College of Physicians, London. G. Edwards Delin Anno 1751.”
    Associated place
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