Pomegranates - Pietro Andrea Mattioli — Contemporary hand-coloured leaf from Kreutterbuch (1611)

An original botanical leaf with contemporary hand-coloured woodcuts from the 1611 Frankfurt edition of Pietro Andrea Mattioli’s Kreutterbuch. The herbal was a major Renaissance reference for the identification and medicinal uses of plants.

Two hand-coloured woodcuts illustrate the pomegranate tree and its fruit, labelled Malus punica and Mala punica. One shows branches with blossoms and fruit. The other sets whole pomegranates beside a cut fruit and scattered seeds, picked out in deep red. The German text on the reverse distinguishes sweet, sour and wine-sour varieties and describes a preparation called Vinum Granatorum.

The cut fruit is the standout detail. It gives this leaf the richness of a still life while showing exactly what the herbal wanted its readers to see. The German text and botanical illustrations show how early modern herbals combined careful observation with practical knowledge of plants.

Toned paper with scattered marks, small edge nicks and a clipped upper corner on the illustrated side.