Antique Sugarcane Chromolithograph, Teboe Glonggong, Java 1892
Description This large chromolithographic plate depicts a single named sugarcane variety 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 technical and artistic standards of late nineteenth-century agricultural illustration.
The sheet illustrates Plate XXVI, Teboe Glonggong. The variety is shown in two cut sections, rendered in clear yellow-green tones with smooth surface texture and well-defined nodes. The clean coloration and restrained depiction emphasize structural characteristics important for botanical comparison, while the generous surrounding paper gives the composition a refined, minimalist appearance.
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 scarce, particularly in well-preserved condition.
With its tall vertical format and fresh, luminous green palette, this plate works equally well as a collector’s item and as a decorative statement piece, especially suited to interiors seeking large-scale botanical imagery with clarity, calm, and historical depth.
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 adds warmth and contrast to the green tones. Wide matting is recommended to emphasize scale and preserve the original margins.
Technique: Chromolithography Maker: W. A. Meyn after F. Soltwedel, Berlin, 1892
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.