A little known work of an equally little known author, this Dutch herbarium is truly a rare book. Its second edition (1682) is held in seven American libraries, but this first edition (1670) is available in only two places, one of them being the Becker Library.

The text and illustrations of the Kruydt-boeck follow the style of the sixteenth century herbals, such as those by Mattioli, Rösslin, and Fuchs. Two columns of text on a page with interspersed woodcuts describe and represent the plants. Even the type-face looks archaic! It is Gothic type, which recalls the somewhat rigid lines of the medieval manuscript tradition. The delicate copper plate illustration on the title page pictures the herbalist (right, sitting) and his assistants. Note the fine detail in the open herbal in the right bottom corner.

NYLANDT, PETRUS (fl. 1669-1686). DE NEDERLANDTSE HERBARIUS OF KRUYDT-BOECK.
Amsterdam: Marcus Doornick, 1670.
(Washington University, Becker Library)