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Fine Art. Antique Prints, Maps and Drawings / 04-10-2025, 18:00 CET

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A moralistic emblem print set in a circular and square ornamental frame, featuring a young woman walking through a village or town square, holding a delicate, small glass flask in one hand. She looks down at the flask with a cautious expression. The scene, which takes place in an open area with buildings and a bridge in the background, is allegorical. This visual metaphor, with the fragile glass representing a woman's honor or chastity, is typical of the didactic works of Jacob Cats, designed to instruct young women on the need for extreme care and circumspection during courtship. The image is an illustration from one of his famous emblem books, likely the section Eerlicke Vryagie from a collection such as Sinne- en Minnebeelden (1618) or Spiegel van den Ouden ende Nieuwen Tyt (1632). Jacob Cats was a highly celebrated Dutch poet, humorist, jurist, and politician of the Dutch Golden Age. Known to his countrymen as "Father Cats," he is most famous for his emblem books, which combined moralistic verses in Dutch with allegorical prints, often with Latin and French translations. His works, including Sinne- en Minnebeelden (1618) and Houwelick (1625), were immensely popular and widely read in the Netherlands for centuries, cementing his role as a key figure in Dutch literary and moral culture. He also held significant political positions, including Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1636 to 1651. Artist or Maker: Jacob Cats&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 15 × 12 cm (Image size); 20 × 14 cm (Sheet size)&nbsp; Medium: Engraving&nbsp; Date: circa 1618-1632 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Jacob Cats (1577-1660) – Eerlicke Vryagie (Honest Courtship) – Engraving (circa 1618-1632)

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This hand-colored engraving titled Arménien depicts two Armenian men dressed in richly colored traditional garments. Both figures wear long robes and red caps, with one man holding a curved dagger at his waist, suggesting status and regional identity. The scene reflects European interest in documenting the cultural diversity of the Ottoman Empire and its surrounding regions during the 18th century, blending costume study with ethnographic imagination Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur was a French diplomat, illustrator, and writer known for his popular costume books depicting peoples and traditions from around the world. His engravings combined Enlightenment-era ethnography with a flair for theatrical presentation, shaping European visual culture and perceptions of the wider world in the late 18th century. Artist:Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur. Dimensions:22 x 18 cm. Medium:Hand-Colored Engraving. Date:1780 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur – Armenian Men in Traditional Dress – Engraving

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This detailed copperplate engraving depicts a group of tropical fish species native to the waters of the Indonesian archipelago, particularly around the Moluccas. Shown in two separate vignettes, the fish are arranged in naturalistic compositions with numbered annotations for taxonomic identification. The image captures a variety of marine forms—spiny fins, armored scales, and exotic profiles—drawn with precision and presented against subtle landscape backdrops, including coastal vegetation and fishing implements. The plate was published in François Valentijn’s monumental Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (1724–26), one of the most important early European works documenting the flora and fauna of Southeast Asia. François Valentijn (1666–1727) was a Dutch naturalist, historian, and minister who worked for the VOC (Dutch East India Company). His illustrated compendium Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën included thousands of observations on the geography, people, and natural life of the East Indies. Christiaan Elliger (1700–1757), a skilled Dutch illustrator, contributed scientifically accurate and aesthetically refined drawings to the project. Artist or Maker: François Valentijn Dimensions: 31 × 22.5 cm. Medium: Copperplate engraving on laid paper. Date: 1724 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

François Valentijn & Christiaan Elliger – Tropical Fish from the Moluccas – Copperplate engraving 

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A striking, hand-coloured copper plate engraving of the Black-naped Oriole (historically "Le Coulavan"). The bird is rendered in profile, perched on a short, gnarled branch. It features brilliant yellow plumage across its body and tail, contrasted sharply by a solid black head and large black sections on its wings and flight feathers. The eyes are bright red, and the bill is long and grayish-white. A thin, stylized sprig of leaves provides minimal grounding to the composition. The title, "Le Coulavan, de la Cochinchine," is inscribed below the image, identifying the species and its origin in Cochinchina (a historical region of Southern Vietnam, Southeast Asia). François-Nicolas Martinet was a French engineer, naturalist, and engraver of the 18th century, recognized as one of the most prominent ornithological artists of his time. He served as the engraver for the King's cabinet and is best known for the approximately 1,000 plates he created for Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon’s comprehensive Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, published between 1770 and 1783. Martinet's meticulous copper plate engravings, which were often subsequently hand-coloured, were essential to the scientific and artistic success of Buffon's ambitious natural history project, documenting numerous species from around the world. Artist or Maker: François-Nicolas Martinet&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 20 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: circa 1770-1783 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

François-Nicolas Martinet (1731-circa 1800) – Le Coulavan, de la Cochinchine (The Coulavan, from Cochinchina) – Hand-coloured Engraving (circa 1770-1783)

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A monumental, highly detailed, hand-coloured engraving of a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), one of the most recognizable wading birds of the Northern Hemisphere. The bird is depicted in a standing profile, characterized by its long, sinuous neck, straight bill, and disproportionately long legs and toes adapted for wading. Its plumage is primarily shades of blue-gray on the wings and back, with white feathers on the neck and breast featuring dark streak markings, and a distinct black crest on the back of its head. The massive scale of the print emphasizes the bird’s elegant and elongated form. The image is presented on a large sheet of paper, folded twice, indicating its original purpose as a large-format folio plate. The print originates from Olof Rudbeck the Younger's massive, but ultimately unpublished, work of Swedish ornithology and botany, often referred to as the Fogel-Bok (Bird Book). Olof Rudbeck the Younger (Olaus Rudbeckius d.y.) was a distinguished Swedish scientist, explorer, botanist, and ornithologist who succeeded his renowned father as professor of medicine at Uppsala University. His major, unfinished project was to document all known plants and animals, particularly birds, which resulted in thousands of intricate and accurate illustrations. Produced in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, these plates are celebrated for their scale, detail, and scientific importance, documenting species long before Linnaeus formalized modern taxonomy. Artist or Maker: Olof Rudbeck the Younger (1660-1740)&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 60 × 40 cm Medium: Facsimile print printed on quality paper Date: 20th Century Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Olof Rudbeck the Younger (1660-1740) – Grey Heron – Facsimile print printed on quality paper

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A composite print illustrating a grouping of herbaceous plants, rendered in scientific detail with rich hand-applied color. The print features five distinct plants or variations arranged vertically and diagonally on a single page. Subjects include tall, spiked flowers with small pink and blue blooms (likely Alopecurus species, or Foxtail grass, variants), a plant with deep crimson, snapdragon-like flowers (a Scrophularia species), and a prominent plant with vibrant yellow, star-shaped flowers and sparse foliage (a species of St. John’s Wort, or Hypericum). The overall composition is a dense, scientifically grouped display with vivid hand-coloring over the fine mezzotint base, typical of the florilegium's innovative style.This plate is from the renowned Phytanthoza Iconographia (1737-1745), one of the first major botanical works to employ the innovative mezzotint technique printed in color and finished by hand. Johann Wilhelm Weinmann was a German apothecary and botanist best known for financing and directing the production of the monumental eight-volume florilegium, Phytanthoza Iconographia (1737-1745). Published in Regensburg, the work aimed to catalog thousands of known plants, utilizing over 1,000 highly innovative color-printed mezzotint plates, many of which were drawn by the famous botanical artist Georg Dionysius Ehret. The encyclopedic scope and the novel use of mezzotint made Phytanthoza Iconographia one of the most ambitious and influential botanical publications of the 18th century. Artist or Maker: Johann Wilhelm Weinmann&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 42 × 26 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured engraving&nbsp; Date: circa 1737-1745 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741) –  Medicinal Herbs (Alopecurus, Milfoil, St. John’s Wort, and others) – Hand-coloured engraving (circa 1737-1745)

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A delicate and detailed hand-coloured botanical illustration of the Dwarf Bindweed (Convolvulus lineatus). The plant is rendered against a plain background, focusing attention on the twining vine, its heart-shaped leaves, and the flowers. The single fully opened bloom at the top is a beautiful soft pink with a deeply shaded, dark crimson throat. Numerous buds, shown in various stages of development, curl around the central stem. This engraving is a plate from Curtis's Botanical Magazine, one of the longest-running botanical journals, which provided detailed scientific descriptions and highly accurate illustrations of ornamental and exotic plants. The original illustration was likely engraved by an artist working for the magazine after William Curtis's death, though published by his successor. William Curtis was an English apothecary, botanist, and entomologist who made a lasting contribution to botanical study through his publications. In 1787, he founded The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed (later renamed Curtis's Botanical Magazine), creating a highly successful and pioneering journal dedicated to illustrating foreign and ornamental plants for an enthusiastic gardening public. While his earlier, scientifically ambitious Flora Londinensis (1777) was a commercial failure, the magazine flourished under his direction and that of his successors, becoming the premier serial for botanical illustration for two centuries. Artist or Maker: William Curtis&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 24 × 15 cm (Image area); 25 × 16 cm (Sheet size)&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: 1813 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

William Curtis (1746-1799) – Convolvulus Lineatus (Dwarf Bindweed) – Hand-coloured Engraving (1813)

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A beautifully preserved, hand-coloured botanical illustration depicting a strawberry plant from the root up. The plant is identified as Fragaria monophylla, commonly known as the One-Leaved Strawberry or Strawberry of Versailles. It is clearly shown with its defining feature: large, coarsely toothed, single-lobed leaves, unlike the three leaflets typical of most strawberry species. The plant is depicted with its entire system, including fibrous roots, a slender stem bearing a small white flower with yellow stamens, an immature berry, and one large, ripe red strawberry. This engraving is a very early plate from The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed, published shortly after the magazine's founding, documenting a singular and curious horticultural variety. William Curtis was an English apothecary, botanist, and entomologist who made a lasting contribution to botanical study through his publications. In 1787, he founded The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed (later renamed Curtis's Botanical Magazine), creating a highly successful and pioneering journal dedicated to illustrating foreign and ornamental plants for an enthusiastic gardening public. He served as the demonstrator of plants at the Chelsea Physic Garden and established his own London Botanic Garden at Lambeth in 1779 (moving to Brompton in 1789), where he sourced the living specimens for his magazine's renowned, meticulously hand-coloured plates. Artist or Maker: William Curtis&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 25 × 16 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: 1789 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

William Curtis (1746-1799) – Fragaria Monophylla (One-Leaved Strawberry) – Hand-coloured Engraving (1789)

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This beautifully hand-coloured engraving by Pierre-Quentin Chedel, after designs by François Boucher, is part of the first edition of L’Histoire Naturelle Éclaircie dans deux de ses parties principales. La Lithologie et la Conchyliologie by Antoine Joseph Dezallier de Argenville, published in Paris in 1742. The plate, titled Huîtres (Oysters), showcases a variety of oyster shells with remarkable detail, each labeled from A to H. The intricate textures and natural patterns are rendered with vivid hand-colouring, capturing the unique forms and structures of these marine specimens. The engraving is marked with the signature "Plan 22," signifying its place within the series. Pierre-Quentin Chedel (1705–1763) was a French engraver and illustrator active during the 18th century. He is known for his detailed and elegant copperplate engravings, which often accompanied scientific, historical, and artistic works. Chedel collaborated with prominent artists of his time, such as François Boucher, for whom he created engravings that brought intricate designs to life. His works are particularly admired in books on natural history, including illustrations of shells, stones, and other subjects in Antoine Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville's L'histoire naturelle éclaircie. Chedel's engravings are celebrated for their precision and artistic refinement. Artist or Maker: Antoine Joseph Dezallier de Argenville. Dimensions:21 cm x 28 cm. Medium: Engraving. Date: 1742 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Pierre-Quentin Chedel (1705–1763) after François Boucher – Huîtres (Oysters) - Engraving (1742)

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This beautifully hand-coloured engraving by Pierre-Quentin Chedel, after designs by François Boucher, is part of the first edition of L’Histoire Naturelle Éclaircie dans deux de ses parties principales. La Lithologie et la Conchyliologie by Antoine Joseph Dezallier de Argenville. Published in Paris in 1742, the engraving showcases an array of ornate shells labeled as "Porcelaines," illustrating the scientific curiosity and artistic elegance of the 18th century Pierre-Quentin Chedel (1705–1763) was a French engraver and illustrator active during the 18th century. He is known for his detailed and elegant copperplate engravings, which often accompanied scientific, historical, and artistic works. Chedel collaborated with prominent artists of his time, such as François Boucher, for whom he created engravings that brought intricate designs to life. His works are particularly admired in books on natural history, including illustrations of shells, stones, and other subjects in Antoine Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville's L'histoire naturelle éclaircie. Chedel's engravings are celebrated for their precision and artistic refinement. Artist or Maker: Antoine Joseph Dezallier de Argenville. Dimensions:21 cm x 28 cm. Medium: Engraving. Date: 1742 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Pierre-Quentin Chedel (1705–1763) after François Boucher – Porcelaines (Shells) - Engraving (1742)

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A richly detailed, hand-coloured engraving depicting a figure in full medieval armor kneeling in prayer within an elaborate Gothic architectural niche. The architectural canopy, composed of gold spires and colored tracery, is a study of 14th-century Gothic style. The print is derived from a now-lost stained glass window in St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster.This illustration is a plate from Henry Shaw's detailed antiquarian work, Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (1843), providing an accurate record of historical costume and decoration. Henry Shaw was a British antiquary, illustrator, and author of the 19th century, renowned for his highly detailed and accurate works documenting medieval decorative arts, architecture, and costume. Trained as a draughtsman and engraver, Shaw famously illustrated his own publications, including Illuminated Ornaments (1833) and the seminal two-volume Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (1843). These works, which utilized a combination of etching, engraving, and meticulous hand-colouring or color printing from woodblocks, are considered important scholarly records of medieval material culture, providing a visual treasury for historians and artists of his era. Artist or Maker: Henry Shaw&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 19 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: 1843 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Henry Shaw (1800-1873) – The Black Prince – Hand-coloured Engraving (1843)

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A richly detailed, hand-coloured engraving illustrating three views (Side, Front, and Back) of the Coronation Spoon, the oldest surviving piece of the English Crown Jewels. The spoon is depicted as a silver-gilt object, heavily ornamented in a design dating to the late 12th century. The central view shows the elaborate engraving on the bowl, the twisted handle, and the roundel set with four pearls (an addition from the 17th century). This ceremonial object is central to the most sacred part of the British coronation ceremony: the anointing of the sovereign with holy oil.&nbsp; Henry Shaw was a British antiquary, illustrator, and author of the 19th century, renowned for his highly detailed and accurate works documenting medieval decorative arts, architecture, and costume. Trained as a draughtsman and engraver, Shaw famously illustrated his own publications, including Illuminated Ornaments (1833) and the seminal two-volume Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (1843). These works, which utilized a combination of etching, engraving, and meticulous hand-colouring or color printing from woodblocks, are considered important scholarly records of medieval material culture, providing a visual treasury for historians and artists of his era. Artist or Maker: Henry Shaw&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 19 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: 1843 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Henry Shaw (1800-1873) – The Coronation Spoon – Hand-coloured Engraving (1843)

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A detailed, hand-coloured engraving illustrating a scene of medieval authority and chivalry. The composition shows two main figures: a King standing on the left and a Knight kneeling before him on the right, accompanied by a white warhorse. The King is crowned and robed in elaborate regal vestments, richly patterned with crosses and fleurs-de-lis, and he holds a scepter. The Knight wears chainmail and a tunic covered in heraldic crosses. His horse is caparisoned with matching heraldry. The inscription at the top dates the scene to the end of the 12th Century. This image is a plate from Henry Shaw's comprehensive work, Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (1843), meticulously documenting historical costume and heraldry. Henry Shaw was a British antiquary, illustrator, and author of the 19th century, renowned for his highly detailed and accurate works documenting medieval decorative arts, architecture, and costume. Trained as a draughtsman and engraver, Shaw famously illustrated his own publications, including Illuminated Ornaments (1833) and the seminal two-volume Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (1843). These works, which utilized a combination of etching, engraving, and meticulous hand-colouring or color printing from woodblocks, are considered important scholarly records of medieval material culture, providing a visual treasury for historians and artists of his era. Artist or Maker: Henry Shaw&nbsp; Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 19 cm&nbsp; Medium: Hand-coloured Engraving&nbsp; Date: 1843 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.