TITLE: Set of Three Antique Mineralogy Chromolithographs, Marble, Aragonite & Fluorite, 1888
DESCRIPTION: A striking set of three original 19th-century mineralogy chromolithographs illustrating decorative marbles, ornamental stones, aragonite and fluorite. Published as Plates X, XI and XII in Dr. Gustav Adolph Kenngott’s “Naturgeschichte des Mineralreichs für Schule und Haus,” the plates combine scientific mineralogy with remarkably decorative studies of natural color and pattern.
Plates X and XI are devoted primarily to marble and ornamental stone. Plate X illustrates nine varieties, including ruin marble from Tuscany, shell marble from Carinthia, red Italian marble, Florentine marble, marble from the Ardennes, shell limestone, grey Italian marble, Italian breccia marble and coral marble from Nassau. The large rectangular specimens emphasize the extraordinary natural colors, veining and fossil patterns of the stones.
Plate XI continues with further decorative stones and marbles, including examples from Württemberg and the Pyrenees. The specimens range from finely banded stone to breccias and highly figured marbles, creating an almost abstract series of natural patterns.
Plate XII turns to crystallography and mineral specimens, illustrating aragonite, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, apatite and fluorite. Particularly attractive are the colored fluorite crystals at the bottom of the sheet, including examples from Saxony, Derbyshire and Baden.
Together, the three plates form an unusually decorative geological group, moving from the natural patterns of antique marble and ornamental stone to colorful crystalline mineral forms. They would display particularly well together in a 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: X, XI and XII
PUBLISHER: J. F. Schreiber
PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Esslingen bei Stuttgart, Germany
DATE: 1888
MEDIUM: Chromolithographs on paper
SUBJECT: Marble, ornamental stone, aragonite, dolomite, gypsum, apatite, fluorite, mineralogy 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. 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.
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