Close-ups
Framed and on the wall
Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look, drawn to its real size; it is sold unframed unless the description says otherwise.
Flora and Fauna
Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Koening and Teboe Batoeng, Java 1892
£750
$1,000 · €895
Original print, not a reproduction
Ships worldwide from the Netherlands, insured and tracked. 14-day returns.
- Date
- 1892
- Sheet size
- 23.6 × 15.7 in (60 × 40 cm)
- Condition
- Good. One plate in very good condition. Light, even age toning and minor surface marks consistent with age. Slight marginal wear. Colors remain fresh and well preserved. Plate mark visible. No significant tears or losses.
- Island
- Java
- Collection
- Flora and Fauna
- Period
- Netherlands Indies, 1850 and after
- Stock no.
- f_48057832
- 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.
Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Koening and Teboe Batoeng, Java 1892
Description
This large and visually striking chromolithographic plate illustrates two distinct Javanese sugarcane varieties 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 reflects the high standards of late nineteenth-century agricultural illustration, combining scientific accuracy with strong decorative appeal.
The sheet contains Plates III and IV, depicting Teboe Koening (modern spelling: Tebu Kuning), a yellow-toned sugarcane variety, and Teboe Batoeng, a darker and more robust cane with a heavier culm. Each variety is shown in full height against a plain background, allowing direct comparison of color, structure, and surface texture.
These images document sugarcane varieties cultivated in Java during the Dutch colonial period, when systematic botanical research supported plantation agriculture. Soltwedel’s atlas of plates was issued separately from the accompanying text and is now scarce on the market, particularly in well-preserved condition.
With its tall vertical format and restrained palette, this plate is well suited for both collectors of botanical prints and for interior display, especially in contexts related to botany, agriculture, colonial history, or tropical-themed interiors. A companion plate from the same series depicting Plates V and VI is also available; a combined offer can be arranged.
Condition report
One plate in very good condition. Light, even age toning and minor surface marks consistent with age. Slight marginal wear. Colors remain fresh and well preserved. Plate mark visible. No significant tears or losses.
Framing suggestions
Best framed vertically. A black or dark walnut frame with an ivory or parchment mat creates a museum-style presentation, while a slim antique gold frame with a wide neutral mat enhances the warm and dark green tones. Generous matting is recommended to emphasize scale and preserve the margins.
Technique: Chromolithography
Maker: W. A. Meyn after F. Soltwedel, Berlin, 1892
