Stock Dove Perched on a Forked Bough, Antique Bird Print, Morris, 1896
€ 125
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
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-11586-58
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
Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the left, right and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left corner. One larger brown mark.
About this sheet
This is an original wood engraved bird plate, colored by hand, captioned "STOCK DOVE." A pigeon perches in profile facing right on a pale, rough barked bough tinted green, with the body held level and the head raised. A bare, forked twig rises from the bough behind the bird. The plumage is blue gray throughout, with darker patches on the wing and a dark tip to the tail. The throat and breast are a warm pinkish fawn, and the side of the neck shows iridescent green and rose. The bill is yellow with a red base and the visible foot coral red.
The engraved caption below the picture reads "STOCK DOVE." with a full stop. There is no plate number above the picture and no engraver's credit on the sheet. The stock dove is Columba oenas.
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 fourth edition was issued in six volumes by John C. Nimmo, London, and this plate comes from 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.
Condition: Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the left, right and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left corner. One larger brown mark.
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.
