Priézac's L'histoire des elephants (1650)
Salomon de Priézac, sieur de Saugues, (fl. 1639-1666). L'histoire des elephants. Paris: Chez Charles Sercy, 1650.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, elephants had become one of the most important state gifts and were shipped to European courts. The creature was considered a luxurious and novel gift of friendship, much like China's rare giant panda today. It flattered the recipient and at the same time emphasized the global connections and powerful position of the giver. Priézac's little book on the history of the elephant includes the story of the presentation of the elephant, Hanno, by the King of Portugal, Emanuel I, to Pope Leo X in 1515.
The frontis is shown here.