About this sheet
Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting two remarkable mammals from distant parts of the world: the Malayan Tapir of Southeast Asia and the Collared Peccary of the Americas.
Published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” in Weimar in the early 19th century.
The plate is headed “Säugethiere XCIV / Quadrupèdes XCIV” and presents the two animals in profile, allowing their distinctive forms and markings to be clearly compared.
Fig. 1 – Malayan Tapir / Asian Tapir
Scientific name: Tapirus indicus
Also known as: Malayan Tapir, Asian Tapir, Malay Tapir
The magnificent lower animal is the Malayan Tapir, the largest of the living tapir species and the only tapir native to Asia.
It is immediately recognizable by its extraordinary black-and-white coloration. The head, shoulders and legs are dark, while the middle and rear portion of the body are covered by a broad pale “saddle.”
This striking pattern helps distinguish the Malayan Tapir from the tapir species of Central and South America.
The Malayan Tapir is native to Southeast Asia, historically occurring across parts of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and surrounding regions.
Despite its somewhat pig-like appearance, the tapir is not closely related to pigs. Tapirs belong to the order Perissodactyla – the odd-toed ungulates – and are therefore more closely related to horses and rhinoceroses.
One of its most characteristic features is the short, flexible trunk formed by the nose and upper lip. This mobile proboscis is used to grasp leaves, shoots, fruit and other vegetation.
For European readers in Bertuch’s period, animals such as the Malayan Tapir represented the extraordinary and still relatively little-known wildlife of Southeast Asia.
Fig. 2 – Collared Peccary / Javelina
Modern scientific name: Dicotyles tajacu
Also known as: Collared Peccary, Javelina
The upper animal represents the Collared Peccary, a pig-like mammal native to the Americas.
It is recognizable by its compact body, coarse grey-brown coat and characteristic pale band or “collar” extending around the shoulders and neck.
Although peccaries superficially resemble wild pigs, they belong to a separate family, Tayassuidae.
The Collared Peccary has an extensive range extending through parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico into Central and South America.
In the southwestern United States and Mexico it is widely known by the popular name “Javelina,” derived from a Spanish term referring to its spear-like canine teeth.
Peccaries are highly social animals and frequently live in groups. They feed on a wide range of vegetation, fruit, roots and other available food.
Two Remarkable Mammals
The juxtaposition of these two animals is particularly interesting from a modern perspective.
Both the tapir and peccary can appear superficially pig-like, yet neither should simply be regarded as a type of domestic pig. They belong to quite different zoological groups and evolved independently.
The plate therefore provides a fascinating example of the way early 19th-century natural-history publications introduced European audiences to unusual mammals from Asia and the Americas.
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children), first published in Weimar in 1790, became one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Its hundreds of engraved and hand-colored plates introduced readers to animals, plants, geography, science, technology, antiquity and cultures from around the world.
This is an especially decorative mammal plate. The bold black-and-white pattern of the Malayan Tapir contrasts beautifully with the finely engraved grey coat of the Collared Peccary above.
Technique: Original hand-colored copper engraving
Publisher: Friedrich Justin Bertuch / Industrie-Comptoir
Publication: Bilderbuch für Kinder
Place: Weimar, Germany
Date: early 19th century, circa 1815
Plate: Säugethiere XCIV / Quadrupèdes XCIV
Subjects:
Fig. 1 – Malayan Tapir / Asian Tapir
Scientific name: Tapirus indicus
Geographical association: Southeast Asia, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra
Fig. 2 – Collared Peccary / Javelina
Scientific name: Dicotyles tajacu
Also historically classified as: Pecari tajacu
Geographical association: North, Central and South America
Condition:
Good antique condition with overall age-related toning, scattered foxing and spotting and some visible show-through or offsetting from printed text. Minor marks and imperfections are present consistent with the age of the engraving. The original hand coloring remains attractive, particularly the distinctive contrasting coloration of the Malayan Tapir.
The engraving is loosely inserted in an acid-free matting board.
Please study the photographs carefully as they...
