rycina

Rycina is a Polish term for an engraved or printed image, especially a plate or illustration produced for inclusion in a text or as a standalone print. The word encompasses techniques such as copperplate engraving, etching, woodcut, and, later, lithography. Historically, ryciny were the principal means of visual illustration in books and periodicals in Poland and parts of Central and Eastern Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries, before modern photographic reproduction became widespread.

In bibliographic practice, rycina refers to a plate or illustration that accompanies the text. The plate is often described by its technique, subject, artist, and size. Ryciny could depict architectural views, landscapes, historical scenes, portraits, or religious subjects. They were produced as original prints, and sometimes as multiple impressions from a single master image.

In English-language scholarship, rycina is commonly translated as engraving or illustration plate, with the exact term dependent on the technique used to create the image. The word remains in use in Polish museums, libraries, and auction catalogs to identify printed illustrations within a collection or book. Ryciny are valued by historians and collectors for their documentary and artistic significance, and they help illuminate the production of illustrated books and periodicals in earlier centuries.

Overall, rycina denotes a print image that served as a visual counterpart to the accompanying text, reflecting the historical role of graphic reproduction in Polish and regional book art.