Namaqua People of Southern Africa – Hand-Colored Ethnographic Engraving, c.1803
€ 210
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Date
1803
Sheet size
22.5 × 13 cm (8.9 × 5.1 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13696-33
Condition
Very good for age. Mild toning to the margins, a few small spots, and soft handling marks near edges. The image is clean with rich original hand-coloring preserved beautifully. Full sheet with wide margins intact.
About this sheet
A beautifully hand-colored early 19th-century ethnographic engraving titled “Namaquas,” depicting two Indigenous Nama people of Southern Africa, part of the Khoisan cultural grouping. The standing man holds a long spear and wears a fur mantle and traditional ornamentation, including beaded jewelry and a circular decorative pendant. The seated woman wears layered beadwork and communicates a lively, engaging expression. Round hut dwellings and dramatic rocky hills in the background evoke the environment of Namaqualand, spanning present-day Namibia and South Africa.
This engraving is part of a significant Enlightenment-era series documenting global Indigenous cultures during the period of European exploration. Although created from a European perspective, the image remains an important visual source for the study of traditional clothing, adornment, and lifeways among the Nama people at the turn of the 19th century.
Signed in the plate: “S. Kuyper del.” (artist) and “J. Portman sculp.” (engraver). Published by J. Allart in The Netherlands, circa 1800. A desirable print for collectors of Southern African history, anthropology, and early colonial-era cultural documentation.
Condition: Very good for age. Mild toning to the margins, a few small spots, and soft handling marks near edges. The image is clean with rich original hand-coloring preserved beautifully. Full sheet with wide margins intact.
Framing Tips: A dark or natural wood frame enhances the warm palette and historical subject. Pair with a soft ivory or sand-colored mat. UV-protective glazing recommended for preservation.
Technique: Hand-colored engraving Maker: J. Allart (publisher), after S. Kuyper, engraved by J. Portman Date: c.1800
Keywords: Nama people print, Southern African ethnography, Khoisan culture, anthropology art, colonial-era documentation, museum quality print, Enlightenment exploration art, J. Allart publisher, S. Kuyper artist, J. Portman engraver, antique hand-colored engraving, Namibia history, South African indigenous peoples
