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Flora and Fauna
Antique Soursop Botanical Chromolithograph by Hoola van Nooten, c. 1880
£915
$1,220 · €1,090
Original print, not a reproduction
Ships worldwide from the Netherlands, insured and tracked. 14-day returns.
- Date
- 1880
- Sheet size
- 21.9 × 15.7 in (55.5 × 40 cm)
- Condition
- Good. Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing and light handling wear consistent with age. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
- Collection
- Flora and Fauna
- Period
- Netherlands Indies, 1850 and after
- Stock no.
- f_51121622
- Color
- Printed color
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.
Title: Antique Soursop Botanical Chromolithograph by Hoola van Nooten, c. 1880
Description: A magnificent original antique botanical chromolithograph depicting Annona muricata L., commonly known as Soursop, Guanábana, Graviola, or Guyabano. One of the most distinctive tropical fruits in the world, the soursop is admired for its large heart-shaped fruit covered in soft spines, aromatic white flesh, and refreshing sweet-tart flavor. Native to tropical America, it was introduced to Southeast Asia centuries ago and became widely cultivated throughout Indonesia and the Dutch East Indies.
The composition illustrates a fruiting branch bearing a mature soursop together with elegant foliage, flowers, and finely executed botanical studies of the fruit in section, seed, and floral structure. The dramatic green fruit, unusual texture, and balanced composition make this one of the most visually striking fruit plates in Berthe Hoola van Nooten's celebrated botanical masterpiece.
The artwork was painted from life on the island of Java by the distinguished Dutch botanical artist Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817 to 1892). It was published in her masterpiece, Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java, widely regarded as one of the finest nineteenth-century botanical publications devoted to the flora of the Dutch East Indies. Printed in rich chromolithography by P. De Pannemaeker of Ghent, this plate was issued in the third edition published in Brussels by Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt around 1880.
Today, the soursop is cultivated throughout the tropical world and is especially prized in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America for its delicious fruit and ornamental appearance. This original antique print combines scientific importance with outstanding decorative appeal and ranks among the finest tropical fruit subjects in the Hoola van Nooten series.
This is an original antique print, printed circa 1880, and not a modern reproduction or later copy.
Artist:
Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817 to 1892)
Publication:
Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java
Publisher:
Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt, Brussels
Printer:
P. De Pannemaeker, Ghent
Circa 1880
Medium:
Original chromolithograph on wove paper.
Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing and light handling wear consistent with age. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
The print is sold unframed.
The soursop is one of the most recognizable and dramatic tropical fruits, with its impressive size and distinctive spiny skin making it highly decorative.
