Chinese Temple Interior, Medan, Sumatra, C J Kleingrothe, Dutch East Indies 1910
€ 240
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1910
Mapmaker / artist
G.R. Kleingrothe, Medan, Sumatra (c.1910)
Technique
Photogravure
Sheet size
34 × 45 cm (13.4 × 17.7 in)
Reference
BG-05079-25
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
Very good for age. Light foxing and toning in outer margins, not affecting the finely detailed image area. Deep plate impression visible. Full margins preserved.
About this sheet
Chinese Temple Interior — Medan, Sumatra (c.1910)
An exceptional original photogravure by G.R. Kleingrothe, Medan, capturing the richly decorated interior of a Chinese temple in North Sumatra around 1895. This detailed scene reveals intricate carved woodwork, ancestral altars, hanging lanterns, painted wall panels, and ceremonial furnishings — a rare visual record of Chinese religious heritage in the Dutch East Indies during the late 19th century.
Chinese communities played a vital cultural and economic role throughout Sumatra, and temples like this served as social, spiritual, and organizational centers for immigrants and local-born Chinese alike. The clarity and scale of the image allow close inspection of iconography and craftsmanship that has often disappeared due to modernization, relocation, or wartime destruction, making this print historically valuable.
The large sheet size and strong composition offer a powerful decorative presence. Collectors of Southeast Asian heritage, overseas Chinese history, colonial-era architecture, and early art photography will find this a notable and elegant piece.
Framing suggestions: Archival mount in soft cream with a dark wood or lacquered frame to complement the ornate temple interior details. Works beautifully hung together with the matching river-view temple sheet as a pair.
