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Antique Indigo & Madder Botanical Print, Indigofera & Rubia Tinctorum, c.1831
$1,240 (£935, €1,100)
Period original, not a reproduction.
Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.
- Date
- 1831
- Size
- 10.7 × 8.9 in (27.1 × 22.7 cm)
- Condition
- Good. Moderate toning and scattered light spotting. Overall very attractive.
- Period
- Early 19th century
- Section
- Botanical
- Reference
- f_48099592
Antique Indigo & Madder Botanical Print, Indigofera & Rubia Tinctorum, c.1831
Description:
This complex botanical engraving depicts Indigofera tinctoria alongside Rubia Tinctorum (madder), two of the most important dye plants in global textile history. The plate includes foliage, flowers, roots, and sectional studies.
Published in Zenker’s Merkantilische Waarenkunde, the image documents the botanical foundations of blue and red dye production, essential to European and colonial textile industries.
Original hand coloring is well balanced, with soft greens and warm reds creating visual interest across the composition.
Condition report:
Moderate toning and scattered light spotting. Overall very attractive.
Framing tips:
An ivory mat with a darker frame highlights the complexity of the composition.
Technique: Copper engraving with original hand coloring
Maker: Jonathan Carl Zenker, Germany, 1831–1832
