Polecat ferret or Le Furet Putois, hybrid between the wild polecat and domesticated ferret. Detail from engraving created in 1700s for French naturalist, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788), from a drawing by French wildlife artist, Jacques Henri E. De Sève (fl.1742-1788). The engraving appeared in Buffon’s influential work on natural history, the 36-volume 'Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière …’, published between 1749 and 1788. This illustration, later coloured by hand, comes from the rare 1780 French edition of the ‘Histoire'.

This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.

This image of a polecat ferret or furet putois was created by the French wildlife artist and illustrator, Jacques Henri E. De Sève, for the influential and comprehensive 36-volume work on natural history, 'Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière …’, published by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, between 1749 and 1788. This page, later tinted skilfully by hand, comes from the rare 1780 edition of the 'Histoire'. A polecat is a member of the Mustelid family, which includes the ferret, stoat, and badger, native to western Eurasia and north Morocco. Ferrets were domesticated more than 2, 000 years ago for hunting vermin. Wild polecats (sometimes known as wild European ferrets) and domesticated ferrets interbreed to produce fertile offspring. A polecat ferret is a hybrid between the wild polecat and domesticated ferret. Jacques Henri E. De Sève (fl.1742-1788) is one of the most influential natural history artists of all time. He created hundreds of animal images, many of which now seem fantastical, but an interesting feature is his inclusion of wildlife habitats; he did not merely depict animals, but rather placed them in an appropriate environment. His work was widely copied in engravings by others for later editions of Buffon's books. Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788), was a French naturalist remembered for his comprehensive work on natural history. He was appointed keeper of the Jardin du Roi (royal botanical garden) in Paris and charged with cataloguing the royal collections in natural history. He produced an account of the whole of nature, which became the 'Histoire’. D1162.B3870.A