About this sheet
Set of Three Antique Mineralogy Chromolithographs, Gold, Silver & Copper, 1888
A striking set of three original 19th-century mineralogy chromolithographs devoted to precious metals and native copper. Published as Plates XV, XVI and XVII in Dr. Gustav Adolph Kenngott’s “Naturgeschichte des Mineralreichs für Schule und Haus,” the plates illustrate gold, platinum, silver, mercury and copper in their natural mineral forms, combining scientific accuracy with highly decorative geological imagery.
Plate XV is devoted principally to gold and platinum. It illustrates native gold in quartz from California, gold crystals, gold leaf on quartz, a large Australian gold nugget from Mount Alexander, gold nuggets from California, gold sand from the Ural Mountains and platinum specimens from Brazil and the Urals.
Plate XVI concentrates on native silver and associated silver minerals. Particularly impressive are the large natural silver formations from Kongsberg in Norway, including crystalline and dendritic native silver specimens. Further examples include native silver from Baden, antimony silver, stephanite and pyrargyrite crystals.
Plate XVII illustrates mercury and copper minerals, including cinnabar, native copper from the Lake Superior region, copper from Ekaterinburg and Cornwall, chalcocite and richly colored copper ores. The plate combines vivid red, blue, green and metallic-toned specimens with crystallographic diagrams.
Together, the three plates form an especially desirable mineralogical group centered on gold, silver and copper—the metals that have played a central role in mining, commerce, jewelry and material culture for centuries. Their combination of historical scientific interest, unusual subject matter and strong decorative appeal makes the set particularly suitable for a collector, library, study, office or sophisticated contemporary interior.
These are original antique prints published in 1888, not modern reproductions.
AUTHOR / EDITOR: Dr. Gustav Adolph Kenngott (1818–1897)
WORK: Naturgeschichte des Mineralreichs für Schule und Haus – Erster Teil: Mineralogie
EDITION: Fourth improved edition
PLATES: XV, XVI and XVII
PUBLISHER: J. F. Schreiber
PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Esslingen bei Stuttgart, Germany
DATE: 1888
MEDIUM: Chromolithographs on paper
SUBJECT: Gold, silver, platinum, mercury, copper, cinnabar, native metals, mineral specimens and crystallography
STYLE / PERIOD: Late 19th Century / Victorian / Scientific Natural History
CONDITION: Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional spotting and minor marginal and edge wear consistent with age. Plate XV shows some roughness and minor losses along the left sheet edge. Please examine the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
FRAMING: Sold unframed. Any framed or interior images shown are for presentation and inspiration only.
