Reed Warbler Perched on a Reed, Hand Colored Bird Print by Morris, 1896
€ 85
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1896
Mapmaker / artist
Not named on the sheet
Publisher
John C. Nimmo, London
Technique
Wood Engraving
Coloring
Hand colored
Sheet size
17.5 × 27 cm (6.9 × 10.6 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-11586-35
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.
Condition
Even age toning. Marked handling soiling along the left, right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left and top right corners.
About this sheet
This is an original wood engraved bird plate, colored by hand, captioned "REED WARBLER." A single bird perches on an upright yellowish reed stem, facing right, with its body level and its long tail raised to the upper left. It is warm tawny brown above, with dark brown wing feathers edged paler, a whitish throat, pale pinkish buff underparts and a slender bill with a yellow base. Its feet grip the stem, one leg stretched out to the left. Green reed blades arch above the bird, and two long blades sweep down below it.
The caption "REED WARBLER." is engraved in capitals in the lower margin. There is no number or other lettering above the picture, and no engraver's credit can be read within it. The Reed Warbler is Acrocephalus scirpaceus.
A History of British Birds was written by the Reverend Francis Orpen Morris (1810 to 1893), rector of Nunburnholme in Yorkshire. The wood blocks for the plates of the work were engraved by Benjamin Fawcett (1808 to 1893) of Driffield in Yorkshire. This plate comes from the fourth edition, issued in six volumes by John C. Nimmo of London, and belongs to the third volume, whose title page is dated 1896 and states that the plates are colored by hand. Each plate combines an engraved black key block with a printed gray tint, finished by hand in watercolor.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
