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Antique 1890s chromolithograph military uniform prints by Richard Knötel showing multi-nation regiments in vibrant historical attire on antique wove paper. - Photo 8

1890s Richard Knötel Military Uniform Chromolithographs - Meyers Konversations-Lexikon - Set of 3

$64.00
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This exceptional suite of three antique chromolithographs originates from the prestigious fifth edition of Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, published between 1893 and 1897 by the Bibliographisches Institut in Leipzig. Commissioned during the height of late nineteenth-century encyclopedic publishing, these plates were illustrated by the celebrated German military painter and uniformologist Richard Knötel (1857–1914). Knötel, a pivotal founder of modern uniform studies, was renowned across Europe for his technical fidelity, capturing the precise tunics, cockades, facings, headgear, and accoutrements of international armed forces. Each plate presents an expansive comparative panorama of national regimens, featuring detailed figures from Great Britain, France, Russia, and neighboring European powers in striking ceremonial and field uniform dress. Printed during the golden era of fine stone lithography, each composition was achieved through an intricate multi-stone process where up to twenty distinct ink stones were individually prepared and sequentially impressed onto fine wove paper. This labor-intensive technique imparted remarkable chromatic depth, rich velvety pigments, and sharp typographic delineations to the regimental numbering and national headings. Retaining their authentic central publication fold and generous margins, these prints reflect the zenith of German fine-art printing before photographic and offset reproduction emerged. They make a sophisticated visual statement when framed as a cohesive triptych or displayed in an executive library, gallery wall, or academic study. Preserved in very good antique condition, each leaf exhibits gentle, expected age toning across the paper margins consistent with authentic late Victorian ephemera, with vivid color fidelity and crisp plate borders intact. Each unframed sheet measures approximately 14 inches in width by 11.5 inches in height (0.1 inches in depth), and the complete set of three prints has a collective weight of approximately 0.5 pounds.

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