Charming Pair of Antique Floral Engravings for Wall Décor, 1828
€ 340
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1828
Sheet size
21 × 17 cm (8.3 × 6.7 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14140-11 & BG-14140-12
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
Condition report: Excellent, with rich original coloring and crisp impressions. Light, even toning and minimal handling marks consistent with age. Wide margins with distinct plate marks; verso blank.
About this sheet
Two botanical plates from Benjamin Maund's The Botanic Garden, issued in London in 1828, each an original copper engraving with hand coloring. Every sheet is divided into four ruled compartments, with one plant drawn full length in each and its Latin name engraved beneath.
The left plate shows Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebell, drooping clusters of blue flowers), Lythrum virgatum with spikes of magenta blooms, a yellow daisy-like Xeranthemum, and Cornus canadensis (Canadian bunchberry), with white bracts above a whorl of leaves. The right plate shows Dianthus caryophyllus (the yellow carnation), Claytonia virginica (Virginia spring beauty) with small white flowers, Lathyrus tuberosus (tuberous pea) with purple blossoms, and Monarda didyma (scarlet bee balm), whose red whorled flower heads stand at the lower right. The paper is toned cream, and the plates are numbered in the margins.
The Botanic Garden presented hardy ornamental plants cultivated in Great Britain, and it included many eastern North American natives that had been introduced to English gardens, among them the Virginia bluebell, spring beauty, bunchberry and bee balm shown here.
