Original Botanical Prints · Herbs, spices & useful plants
Antique Gum Arabic Botanical Print, Acacia Arabica & Acacia Vera, c.1831
No. f_48093432183122.7 × 27.1 cm
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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.
Herbs, spices & useful plants
Antique Gum Arabic Botanical Print, Acacia Arabica & Acacia Vera, c.1831
€940
$1,060 · £800
Original print, not a reproduction
Ships worldwide from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked. 14-day returns. To buy, use Ask a question (info@originalbotanicalprints.com) and we will reserve it for you.
- Date
- 1831
- Sheet size
- 10.7 × 8.9 in (27.1 × 22.7 cm)
- Condition
- Good. Moderate age-related toning and scattered light spotting, consistent with the series. No tears or losses.
- Collection
- Herbs, spices & useful plants
- Era
- 1800 to 1849, The golden age of botanical art
- Stock no.
- f_48093432
Antique Gum Arabic Botanical Print, Acacia Arabica & Acacia Vera, c.1831
This original botanical engraving depicts two important gum-producing trees: Acacia arabica and Acacia vera, shown side by side with foliage, seed pods, and analytical details. These species were the principal sources of gum arabic, a key material used in food preparation, pharmaceuticals, printing, watercolor painting, and bookbinding.
The plate was published in Jonathan Carl Zenker’s Merkantilische Waarenkunde, a foundational early 19th-century work devoted to plants of commercial and industrial value. Gum arabic was a vital global commodity, traded extensively from Africa and the Middle East into Europe.
Original hand coloring is carefully applied in cool green tones, with yellow highlights on the blossoms and pods. The dual composition gives the plate strong visual balance and makes it particularly attractive as a statement piece.
Condition report:
Moderate age-related toning and scattered light spotting, consistent with the series. No tears or losses.
Framing tips:
A warm ivory mat with a dark wood or ebonized frame enhances contrast and emphasizes the paired composition.
Technique: Copper engraving with original hand coloring
Maker: Jonathan Carl Zenker, Germany, 1831 to 1832
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