Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Rotan and Teboe Alfoere, 1892

About this sheet

Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Rotan and Teboe Alfoere, 1892

Description
This large chromolithographic plate illustrates 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. Produced by W. A. Meyn, the plate reflects the high standard of late nineteenth-century agricultural illustration, combining scientific accuracy with strong decorative clarity.

The sheet contains Plates XVIII and XIX, depicting Teboe Rotan and Teboe Alfoere. Teboe Rotan is shown in elongated, yellow-green segments with fine linear striping, while Teboe Alfoere appears broader and more robust, with deeper green tones and darker mottling along the culm. Both varieties are presented in full height against a plain background, allowing close comparison of colour, node structure, and surface texture.

These plates were created during a period of systematic botanical research in the Dutch East Indies, when sugarcane cultivation was of major agricultural and economic importance. Soltwedel’s atlas of plates was issued separately from the accompanying text volume and is now increasingly scarce, particularly in well-preserved condition.

With its tall vertical format and fresh green palette, this plate has strong visual impact and is suitable both for collectors of botanical or colonial material and for interior designers seeking large-scale historical imagery with a natural, tropical character. Companion plates from the same series depicting additional 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 fresh and well preserved. Plate mark visible. No significant tears or losses.

Framing suggestions
Best framed vertically. A dark walnut or ebonized frame with an ivory or parchment mat creates a refined, museum-style presentation, while a slim antique gold frame enhances the warm green and yellow tones. Wide matting is recommended to emphasize scale and preserve the original margins.

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