Valentini & Merian Original Prints 1719 Acetosa Lanceolata Herb

Acetosa Lanceolata
8 by 13 1/2 inches
MNB517 $85

This beautiful herbal volume is by Michael Bernhard Valentini, with engravings by master engraver Matthaus Merian, the father of Maria Sibylla Merian. It is the only botanical work that Merian produced and each print is a little jewel, with a plant in the foreground and a landscape in the background.

Like many herbals of this time, the image is a copper engraving in the middle of the page on a folio sheet which is printed on the verso, there is light text bleed through on some.The paper is strong chain-lined with the image size about 4 inches wide by 5 inches long.They are all delightful miniature herbal views, in the original black and white with a few hand colored recently by a professional English colorists. There is no title page, as these were purchased as leaves.