Close-ups
Framed and on the wall
Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look; the description says what is included.
Antique Indigo & Madder Botanical Print, Indigofera & Rubia Tinctorum, c.1831
$1,230 (£930, €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
- Colour
- Hand coloured
What the condition grades mean
- Excellent
- Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
- Very good
- Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
- Good
- Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
- Fair
- Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
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
