Clove Tree (*Caryophyllus aromaticus*) lot with 2 Original hand-col. engravings by Turpin, Antique Botanical Print (c.1835)

The Complete Botanical Study of Clove: Portrait and Anatomical Analysis

This curated pair unites two original early nineteenth-century engravings dedicated to clove, offering a complete study of one of the great spices of global history. The first plate presents the clove tree in fruiting and flowering detail, highlighting the unopened buds traded for centuries as the spice known as clove. The second plate provides an extensive anatomical analysis of the flower and fruit, revealing the structural precision behind what commerce reduced to a single dried commodity.

Seen together, the two sheets embody the encyclopedic ideal of the period: nature observed and nature explained. The pairing transforms clove into a subject of scientific authority, while preserving the quiet decorative elegance of Turpin’s botanical style.

Both plates belong to the Italian edition of the Dizionario di Scienze Naturali (Florence, Battelli press), a monumental early nineteenth-century undertaking dedicated to cataloguing the natural world through refined copperplate engraving and disciplined hand-colouring.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The first plate is composed as a vertical botanical portrait. The leaf structure establishes a calm architectural framework, while the clustered unopened buds create a crown of vivid red that commands the eye. The chromatic relationship between deep greens and saturated crimson produces strong decorative presence without compromising scientific clarity.

The second plate shifts into a cabinet-like analytical register. Its measured arrangement of magnified structures, sectional views and developmental stages reveals the morphology of clove in exceptional detail. Together, the two engravings form an elegant dialogue between the living specimen and the anatomical language of early nineteenth-century botany.

About the Subject

Caryophyllus aromaticus (now commonly referred to as Syzygium aromaticum) is native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia and was among the most coveted spices of the early modern world. Its dried unopened flower buds circulated across Asia and Europe as objects of luxury and strategic value, shaping maritime routes, monopolies and colonial competition. By the early nineteenth century, naturalists sought to integrate such economically decisive plants into systematic botanical classification, clarifying their reproductive structures and developmental stages. This pair reflects that intellectual effort: the botanical portrait anchors the plant in visible form, while the analytical plate exposes the hidden architecture of flower and fruit. Together, they preserve clove not merely as a commodity, but as a scientific and historical subject of remarkable depth.

Condition Report

Both engravings are in exceptional antique condition, remarkably close to “like brand new.” The sheets present clean margins and crisp, well-inked impressions. The paper is smooth early nineteenth-century wove paper (non-laid). No watermark has been observed. The original hand-colouring remains fresh and balanced, with no visible losses. The engraved credits “Turpin dis.” are present, confirming the original drawings by Pierre Jean François Turpin.

Details

• Artist: Pierre Jean François Turpin
• Work / Publication: Dizionario di Scienze Naturali – Sacchetti Collection
• Plates: Two original engravings (Clove tree + flower & fruit anatomical analysis)
• Main subject: Garofano aromatico – Caryophyllus aromaticus (Clove)
• Period: early 19th century
• Technique: Original hand-colored engravings
• Paper: Original smooth wove paper (non-laid)
• Watermark: None observed
• Sheet size: approx. 22 × 14 cm each

For further context on Pierre Jean François Turpin and his contribution to nineteenth-century botanical science, see our editorial feature:

Pierre Jean François Turpin – The Botanical Illustrator of Natural Harmony