Woodcut from Distinta relazione del monstruoso pesce… sold for $2000 (£1645).
Francesco Ricciardi’s Distinta relazione del monstruoso pesce… is the sensational tale of a “great dogfish” which devoured a local fisherman and was subsequently hunted down by his compatriots, by means of “a series of clever lures”.
When finally captured it was said to weigh in at “sixteen cantaros” (about 1600lbs) – including, I suppose, the remains of the victim that were found in the shark’s gut the following day.
A copy offered at Bonhams New York (25/20/12%) on March 9, now in modern boards, sold at $2000 (£1645).
