Cocoplum – Chrysobalanus icaco. Antique Botanical Print original hand-colored engraving by Turpin, (c.1835)

A Coastal Fruit of the Caribbean Shores

This original hand-colored engraving depicts Chrysobalanus icaco, commonly known as cocoplum. The plate presents a fruiting branch with mature and developing fruits, accompanied by detailed botanical studies of flower and seed structure.

The two rounded fruits, softly transitioning from green to warm coral blush, provide chromatic balance within the composition. Their smooth surfaces contrast with the thick, leathery leaves, whose pronounced venation is rendered with careful tonal modulation.

The engraving belongs to the Italian edition of the Dizionario di Scienze Naturali (Florence, Battelli press), a monumental early nineteenth-century encyclopedic work dedicated to systematic natural history.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The composition is restrained and vertically composed, allowing the fruit to hover lightly above the supporting foliage. Unlike more saturated tropical subjects, the cocoplum’s palette remains subtle — olive greens, soft yellows, and muted red highlights — creating an atmosphere of calm botanical clarity.

The botanical diagrams below introduce structural depth, revealing floral anatomy and sectional views of the fruit. Turpin’s linework remains disciplined and clean, preserving both decorative harmony and scientific precision.

About the Subject

Chrysobalanus icaco is native to coastal regions of the Caribbean and tropical Americas. The plant is particularly notable for its resilience: it thrives in sandy soils and tolerates saline conditions, forming part of the ecological fabric of tropical shorelines.

In early nineteenth-century botanical literature, such species documented not only edible fruits but also the environmental adaptations of tropical flora. Within Turpin’s broader corpus of “fruits of the global age,” the cocoplum represents botanical endurance — a plant shaped as much by coastal winds and salt air as by cultivation.

Condition Report

The engraving is preserved in excellent antique condition. The sheet presents clean margins and a sharp, well-defined impression. The original early nineteenth-century smooth wove paper remains stable and evenly toned. No watermark has been observed. The hand-colouring retains clarity, particularly in the delicate tonal transitions of the fruit and the layered foliage.

Details

• Artist: Pierre Jean François Turpin
• Work / Publication: Dizionario di Scienze Naturali – Sacchetti Collection
• Subject: Cocoplum – Chrysobalanus icaco
• Period: early 19th century (c. 1820s)
• Technique: Original hand-colored engraving
• Paper: Original smooth wove paper
• Watermark: None observed
• Sheet size: approx. 22 × 15 cm

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