Theobroma Cacao – Cocoa Tree Botanical Lithograph c.1863
This antique botanical print depicts Theobroma cacao, known as the cacao tree or cocoa tree, the tropical plant from which cocoa beans are harvested to produce chocolate. The lithograph shows a detailed, naturalistic branch bearing a large ripe red cacao pod with its ribbed surface, along with unripe green pods and lush elliptical leaves with prominent veins. Surrounding the main illustration are finely rendered scientific details, including flower structures, seed forms, and cross-sections of the cacao pod, revealing its internal compartments filled with cocoa beans embedded in white pulp.
This lithograph originates from ‘Fleurs, fruits et feuillages choisis de la flore et de la pomone de l' Ile de Java peints d'après nature’ by Berthe Hoola Van Nooten...
Category
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Georges Dayez Furniture