Antique Indigo & Madder Botanical Print, Indigofera & Rubia Tinctorum, c.1831

€ 1 100

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1831
Mapmaker / artist: Jonathan Carl Zenker, Germany, 1831–1832
Technique: Copper engraving with original hand coloring
Sheet size: 27.1 × 22.7 cm (10.7 × 8.9 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14181-42

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

Moderate toning and scattered light spotting. Overall very attractive.

About this sheet

Antique Indigo & Madder Botanical Print, Indigofera & Rubia Tinctorum, c.1831
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.