There is one reference from the Louvre/Paris, 17th century:
Méniel, P., Arbogast, R.-M., 1989: Les restes de mammifères de
la Cour Napoléon du Louvre (Paris) du XIVe au XVIII siècles.
Revue de Paléobiologie 8/2:405-466, Genève.
(partial skeleton, p.447).
Guineapig keeping is likewise mentioned in the "Georgica curiosa"
of the Austrian agronomist Hohberg (1682), but I'm not sure if for
food or as pets. According to Benecke (1994), guineapigs were
already described in the "Historia animalium" (1551-1558) by
Gesner, but one should check out if this holds true for the original
or for later editions.
I, too, recall some pictorial evidence of three-colored guineapigs
from Flemish still lifes (17/18th century) in the Vienna Art museum.
Best wishes
Mag. G. K. Kunst
VIAS
Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science
Interdisziplinäres Forschungsinstitut für Archäologie
Inst.fuer Palaeontologie
GEOZENTRUM
University of Vienna
Althanstr. 14, A-1090 Wien
Austria
Tel: +43-1-4277-22406
Fax. +43-1-4277-9535
Homepage: www.univie.ac.at/vias
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