Martin Elias Ridinger (1731 Augsburg 1780). Hound Badger. / Hog Badger. “There are two badgers of one species (there are no more in our parts), the one creeping up, the other blubbering at him” (Th.). In scrubby hill landscape before a badger’s earth. Colored etching with engraving. Inscribed: TAXUS CANINUS. TAXUS SUITTUS. / Hunds Dachs. Schweins Dachs. / Thaison canin. Thaison de pore. / Familia IV. Fünfzähige. / Ridinger, fec. 12½ × 8½ in (31.6 × 21.2 cm).

Thienemann & Schwarz 1067. – IN THE RIDINGERS’ ORIGINAL COLORING from the unnumbered Colored Animal Kingdom created since 1754 and concluded finally posthumously not before 1773 (“Complete copies are next to untraceable”, so Weigel, Art Cat., sect. XXVIII, Ridinger Appendix 63a as merely 120-sheet torso, 1857 ! , but also just individual plates quite rarely on the market only, at niemeyer’s currently the one as the others all the same). – Remaining uncolored contrary to the prospectus, a second edition from the plates shortened even under loss of animals and with modified titling and the Ridinger inscription removed, yet now numbered, was published by Engelbrecht/Herzberg in Augsburg 1824/25.

“ By all rights this animal can be called a true subterranean citizen and inhabitant of earth … He likes to live in peace, however, if one lets the abovementioned dachshunds into his earth he fights back as good as he can by digging his ducts, or defends himself by biting and scratching … When they run out they are also captured by a so-called badger hood or by a board trap … One distinguishes two kinds … the difference mostly shall show in the snout ”

(Ridinger’s sons in the preamble to pt. II, pp. 10 f. [German] & 8 f. [French] resp., enclosed in copy).

The attribution of the work to Johann Elias’ eldest, Martin Elias, results from the spelling considered here as individual – like a dot or comma between “Ridinger” and for instance “sc.” – as against such plates of the Animal Kingdom inscribed with his name.

Watermarked Strasbourg fleur-de-lis above arms & C & I Honig (type Heawood 64/Churchill 428) as that sturdy Dutch quality paper Ridinger used in line with his preamble to the Principal Colors of Horses

“on account of the fine illumination” for the colored works

“as for this purpose it is the most decent and best”. – Margins on three sides 2-2.8 cm, below 4.4 cm wide. – Various (quite) faint tiny fox spots in the white text/plate field.

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