Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Mangis and Teboe Tangeran, 1892

About this sheet

Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Mangis and Teboe Tangeran, 1892

This large chromolithographic plate depicts two distinct sugarcane varieties cultivated in Java and was published in Berlin in 1892 as part of Friedrich Soltwedel’s botanical study Formen und Farben von Saccharum officinarum L. und verwandten Arten. The plate was produced by W. A. Meyn and represents the high standard of late nineteenth-century agricultural illustration, combining scientific observation with strong visual clarity.

The sheet contains Plates IX and X, illustrating Teboe Mangis and Teboe Tangeran. Both varieties are shown as tall, segmented canes against a plain background, emphasizing differences in coloration, node structure, and surface texture. The warm brown and reddish tones of these varieties contrast subtly with earlier green and yellow canes in the series, giving this plate a particularly rich and earthy palette.

These images originate from a period of intensive botanical and agricultural research in the Dutch East Indies, when sugarcane cultivation was of major economic importance. Soltwedel’s atlas of plates was issued separately from the accompanying text volume and is now scarce, especially in complete and well-preserved examples.

With its strong vertical composition and restrained colour range, this plate is well suited both for collectors of botanical or colonial material and for interior designers seeking large-scale historical imagery with a natural, organic presence. Companion plates from the same series depicting other Javanese sugarcane varieties are also available; a combined offer can be arranged.

Condition report
One plate in very good condition for its age. Light, even age toning and minor surface marks consistent with atlas plates. Slight marginal wear. Colours remain well preserved. Plate mark visible. No significant tears or losses.

Framing suggestions
Best framed vertically. A dark walnut, ebonized, or muted antique gold frame with an ivory or parchment mat creates a refined, museum-style presentation. Wide matting is recommended to emphasize scale and protect the original margins.

Technique: Chromolithography
Maker: W. A. Meyn after F. Soltwedel, Berlin, 1892