Badger and Otter Hunt – Antique German Engraving, circa 1840
€ 170
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1840
Sheet size
25.7 × 20.5 cm (10.1 × 8.1 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13836-28
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
Good condition overall with light age toning to the sheet, minor foxing mainly near margins, and a small corner crease lower left. Plate mark is strong and the partial original hand-coloring remains vivid.
About this sheet
Badger and Otter Hunt – Antique German Engraving, circa 1840 This highly detailed antique engraving titled "Dachs- und Fischotterjagd" (Badger and Otter Hunt) depicts an elaborate hunting scene in three registers. At the top, badgers and otters are illustrated within their natural habitats, rendered with partial hand-coloring to emphasize their pelage against a rocky forested backdrop. The middle register features a group of hunters gathered around a captured badger, dressed in varied 18th to early 19th century hunting attire, with dogs attentively watching the event. The bottom register shows an active otter hunt, with men wading into a river accompanied by their hounds while onlookers observe from the shore and horseback.
Published by Carl Mayer’s Kunst Anstalt in Nuremberg, circa 1840, this print exemplifies the German Romantic fascination with rural traditions, hunting culture, and natural history. The engraving is finely executed with excellent attention to the landscape setting, hunter costumes, and realistic depiction of the animals, serving both as a documentary record and as decorative art.
Such prints were part of larger works depicting European hunting scenes, ethnographic subjects, and wildlife studies, widely collected by the educated bourgeoisie in the mid-19th century. Today, this engraving would suit collectors of hunting art, animal studies, and German historical prints, or as an elegant addition to traditional interiors, lodges, or hunting cabins.
Condition report: Good condition overall with light age toning to the sheet, minor foxing mainly near margins, and a small corner crease lower left. Plate mark is strong and the partial original hand-coloring remains vivid.
Framing tip: This print would look best framed in a dark walnut or oak frame to complement its rich engraved tones, with a wide natural linen or cream mount to enhance its visual depth. Alternatively, a black frame with a gold inner edge would emphasize its graphic and historic character for display in a study, library, or gallery wall.
