Add MS 5291

The volume comprises two sets of drawings, all of which are pasted on the folios of the manuscript. At the beginning of the volume, inscribed on f.iii, is the title 'Designs of Dr. Plukenet's [i.e. Leonard Plukenet] works'. On f. iv (now at the back of the volume) is the title 'Drawings belonging to the works of Mr. Ja. Pettiver' [i.e. James Petiver].

The first part of the volume (items 1-184) consists of pencil drawings of plants executed on paper, cut out and pasted one next to the other on larger rectangular sheets of paper, which is mostly printed waste paper from almanacs or from Plukenet's own work. These sheets are in turn pasted onto the folios of the manuscript. In size and composition, these collages of drawings closely resemble the arrangement of the printed specimens in plates from Plukenet's Phytographia (London, 1691). There are marginal comments inscribed in English on the drawings, referring to the level of detail and size of the drawings, or their position in relation to the others pasted on the same page.

The second part of the manuscript (items 185-430) consists of pen and brown ink, pencil and red chalk drawings of plants, fruit and animals, some of which have cross-references to James Petiver's Gazophylacii naturae et artis (London, 1702-11) or Hendrik van Rheede's Hortus Indicus Malabaricus (Amsterdam, 1678 first ed.). There are also etchings of shells with preparatory drawings for the same.