Botanical engraving from 1904 - Mosses - old plant plate

Magnificent authentic engraving 121 years old, not a mere reproduction. Subject: Mosses. • Edition: between 1902 and 1907. • Size: 15.5 X 24.5 cm. • Elegant vintage cream-white paper. • Text in German. • Condition: very good. This illustration comes from a large German encyclopedia, blending scholarly texts, maps, and detailed engravings, reflecting the intellectual and editorial rigor of its time. Authentic and original, it bears witness to the encyclopaedic ambition to encompass all human knowledge. A true mirror of the world before the First World War, this work combines rigor, elegance, and pedagogical clarity, making each volume a valuable testimony to the history of knowledge. This plate illustrates various species of mosses in their different stages of development. One can observe mosses with their characteristic sporophytes featuring upright brown capsules, green vegetative formations, and detailed reproductive structures. The composition presents a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from small creeping mosses to more developed species with their long hairs topped with capsules. • Find all my lithographs and prints in my shop. • Send me a message for any questions. • Fast delivery and careful packaging for a risk-free reception. • For a bulk purchase, send me a message for a single shipping fee and to discuss a discount. Reference: 112-1-40. Texts inscribed on the engraving: Translation: Mosses I. Marchantia polymorpha Blasia pusilla Anthoceros laevis An Scapania nemorosa Sphagnum cymbifolium Schizomytrota osmundacea Mnium cuspidatum Sphagnum cymbifolium Sphagnum luteum Sphagnaceae aerudam Neckera complanata Climacium dendroides Tetraphis pellucida Certa Archidi Mosses Aulacomnium androgynum Tetraphis pellucida. --- Decoration, vintage, spores, vegetation, cryptogams, bryology, reproduction. Sporophytes, bryophytes, capsules. This plate presents a scientific naturalist style typical of 19th-century encyclopedias. The illustration combines botanical precision with aesthetic concern, featuring colours true to reality. Each species is represented with great attention to detail, showing reproductive and vegetative structures. The chromolithography technique allows for a delicate rendering of the characteristic shades of greens and browns of these plants.