Original Antique Botanical Print of Manna Ash and Sarsaparilla by Bertuch, 1805

Original Antique Botanical Print of Manna Ash and Sarsaparilla by Bertuch, c. 1805

Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting the Manna Ash and Sarsaparilla, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” in Weimar in the early 19th century.

The plate is titled “Pflanzen LXXXV / Plantes LXXXV” and is devoted to two medicinal plants that were valued for their practical and pharmaceutical uses.

Fig. 1 depicts the Manna Ash (*Fraxinus ornus*), also known as the flowering ash. The plant is shown with its elegant pinnate foliage and branching clusters of flowers. The manna obtained from this tree was historically collected from its sap and used medicinally, particularly as a mild laxative.

Fig. 2 illustrates Sarsaparilla, traditionally associated with species of Smilax. Bertuch shows the plant in considerable botanical detail, including its strongly veined leaves, fruits, flowers and extensive root system. Sarsaparilla roots had a long history of use in European herbal medicine.

Additional details illustrate parts of the plants separately, emphasizing the educational and scientific purpose of Bertuch’s publication.

The engraving is delicately enhanced with original hand coloring in restrained shades of green, yellow, brown and pink and bears the signature “J. H. Schmuzer” at lower right.

Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children) was one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, containing hundreds of finely engraved plates covering natural history, geography, science, technology, antiquity and numerous other subjects.

Creator:

Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822)

Engraver:

J. H. Schmuzer

Source:

Bilderbuch für Kinder

Plate:

Pflanzen LXXXV / Plantes LXXXV

Subjects:

Manna Ash (*Fraxinus ornus*) and Sarsaparilla (*Smilax*)

Place of Publication:

Weimar, Germany

Date of Manufacture:

Circa 1802–1805

Period:

Early 19th Century

Style:

Neoclassical, In the Period of

Medium:

Original hand-colored copper engraving on paper

Condition:

Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Light age-related toning and scattered minor spotting and marks. Minor marginal wear and edge irregularities. Original hand coloring remains attractive. Please refer to the photographs for further details of condition.

Please note:

This is an original antique print from the early 19th century, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.

Other companion botanical plates from Bertuch’s “Bilderbuch für Kinder” are also available separately.

Keywords:

Manna Ash, Fraxinus ornus, Sarsaparilla, Smilax, medicinal plants, herbal medicine, botanical engraving, antique botanical print, medicinal botanical print, pharmacy decor, apothecary print, natural history print, Bertuch print, Friedrich Justin Bertuch, J. H. Schmuzer, hand colored engraving, early 19th century botanical print