{"product_id":"bloch-three-folio-fish-plates-c1786","title":"Bloch — Three Folio Fish Plates c.1786 (Matched Trio)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloch — Three Folio Fish Plates c.1786 (Matched Trio)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA matched trio of three original Bloch folio fish plates c.1786 — the Green-Tailed Gilt-Head, the Toothed Gilt-Head, and the Sea-Bream — all from the same foundational work of ichthyological illustration, guaranteeing matched paper stock, margins, and printing quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy Buy as a Trio\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThree coordinated Bloch plates framed together as a triptych create an exceptional statement for a dining room, coastal home, or serious collector's study. The matched Sparus subjects (all gilt-heads \/ sea-breams) create natural visual coherence. Individual plates are also available; the trio offers savings and guaranteed matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799)\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German-Jewish physician and naturalist who turned to ichthyology late in life after establishing his medical practice in Berlin. He collected specimens from around the world through a network of correspondents and described over 200 species of fish — many for the first time in scientific literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Work\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIchthyologie, ou Histoire Naturelle Générale et Particulière des Poissons\u003c\/em\u003e was published in Berlin by the author and F. de la Garde between 1785 and 1797. The work contains 432 hand-colored folio engravings, many heightened with gold, silver, and bronze pigments to reproduce the metallic sheen of fish scales. Plate names appear in Latin, French, English, and German. Bonhams' catalogers call it \"possibly the most beautiful book on fishes ever published\" (Dance, p.56); Nissen describes it as \"the finest illustrated work on fishes ever produced.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eScarcity \u0026amp; Market Context\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplete \u003cem\u003eIchthyologie\u003c\/em\u003e sets (12 volumes in 6) are exceedingly rare and have sold at Bonhams and Christie's in the $40,000–$80,000+ range. Individual hand-colored folio plates appear regularly at specialist dealers — George Glazer Gallery has offered examples at $575 each; Trillium and Arader Galleries at $350–$700 each depending on subject. Plates with silver and gold heightening command the highest prices. The work is a benchmark of 18th-century European scientific illustration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eInstitutional Holdings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplete copies at the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Smithsonian Libraries, and the Arader Galleries collections. Burghley House once held a copy with provenance inscription.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach sheet approximately 10.5 × 17 inches; plate mark approximately 8 × 14.75 inches\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrame:\u003c\/strong\u003e This piece ships \u003cstrong\u003eunframed\u003c\/strong\u003e — the sheet or plate only. We can recommend framers in your area or ship to your preferred framer. Professional framing with archival materials typically runs $150–$400 depending on size and finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eShipping Terms\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping costs vary by product, packaging requirements, destination, carrier, and insurance value.\u003c\/strong\u003e We do not use flat-rate shipping because antique prints, maps, paintings, and books each require different packing — some ship flat between archival boards, some ship rolled, some require custom-built crates with shock absorption, and framed pieces need extra protection for glass and corners.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow our shipping process works:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou place your order (shipping is calculated as $0 at checkout)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe prepare a custom shipping quote for your destination — typically within 24 hours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe contact you to confirm carrier options (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL), insurance value, and delivery timeline\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnce you approve the shipping quote, we send a separate invoice for shipping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe pack with archival-grade materials and insure at full value\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions on shipping before you buy? Contact us with your zip code (or international address) and we'll provide a quote before you commit to purchase.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eImportant Buyer Notice\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese pieces are \u003cstrong\u003eantique originals\u003c\/strong\u003e, ranging from approximately 100 to over 400 years old. Each piece will show varying degrees of age-appropriate condition: paper toning, foxing, edge wear, fold marks, minor restoration, light staining, and other natural signs of age are common and expected for works of this period. Condition varies from piece to piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is the buyer's responsibility to confirm that the piece is in the condition they require before purchase.\u003c\/strong\u003e We are always happy to answer any questions about the state of the work, provide additional photographs of specific areas, describe any flaws or repairs in detail, or arrange a video review before you buy. Please contact us at any time with questions — we believe an informed buyer is the best customer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll pieces are guaranteed \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic originals\u003c\/strong\u003e (not reproductions, facsimiles, or modern prints). We offer a full refund if authenticity is ever disputed by a qualified third party.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\"@type\":\"VisualArtwork\",\"name\":\"Bloch — Three Folio Fish Plates c.1786 (Matched Trio)\",\"sku\":\"EC-BLO-SET\",\"productID\":\"EC-BLO-SET\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eldrickco.com\/products\/bloch-three-folio-fish-plates-c1786\",\"creator\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Marcus Elieser Bloch\",\"birthDate\":\"1723\",\"deathDate\":\"1799\",\"nationality\":\"German\"},\"artist\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Marcus Elieser Bloch\",\"birthDate\":\"1723\",\"deathDate\":\"1799\",\"nationality\":\"German\"},\"dateCreated\":\"1786\",\"description\":\"Bloch — Three Folio Fish Plates c.1786 (Matched Trio). Original antique print from c.1786. Authentic antique with full scarcity notes, provenance, and authenticity guarantee from EldrickCo.\",\"artMedium\":\"Hand-colored copper engraving\",\"artworkSurface\":\"Paper\",\"artform\":\"Ichthyological illustration\",\"offers\":{\"@type\":\"Offer\",\"priceCurrency\":\"USD\",\"price\":\"1000.00\",\"availability\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eldrickco.com\/products\/bloch-three-folio-fish-plates-c1786\",\"seller\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"EldrickCo\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eldrickco.com\"},\"itemCondition\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\/UsedCondition\"},\"brand\":{\"@type\":\"Brand\",\"name\":\"EldrickCo\"},\"category\":\"Antique Prints\"}\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"EldrickCo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43253384872025,"sku":"EC-BLO-SET","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/3089\/3657\/files\/bloch-three-folio-fish-plates-c1786.jpg?v=1776986960","url":"https:\/\/eldrickco.com\/products\/bloch-three-folio-fish-plates-c1786","provider":"Eldrick LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}