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COSTUMES

Lot 224
13.07.2023 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 11 340
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 992932
Lot 224 | COSTUMES
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
COSTUMES

[Costumes of China, Austria, Great Britain, the Russian Empire and Turkey. The Punishments of China and the Military Costume of Turkey.] London: for William Miller by Bulmer [but Thomas M'Lean], 1804-1818 [but plates watermarked 1819.]

A very fine set, a deluxe issue, beautifully bound in uniform gilt- and blind-tooled straight-grained morocco, with all the plates finely hand-coloured including backgrounds. Despite maintaining the William Miller imprints on the titles, this set was actually published by Thomas M'Lean, who had acquired William Miller's original plates in 1818 from the publisher, John Murray (who had taken over Miller's premises and stock in 1812). A printed note inserted into some examples of M'Lean's 1818 Military Costume of Turkey advertise remaining copies of Miller's original work. It is believed that M'Lean's successful sale of these copies prompted him to re-issue the full set of seven volumes in 1819 or 1820. This copy is a particularly deluxe edition of M'Lean's seven volume set. It differs from the regular issue in that the plates in this deluxe issue are printed on thick paper, have much more detailed hand-colouring than those in the regular issue, and contemporary watercolour backgrounds have been added behind the hand-coloured stipple-engraved figures; ink rules bordering each plate were also added.



The set comprises: 1) The Costume of Turkey. London: 1804. 60 hand-coloured plates, with descriptive text (a little offsetting) Abbey Travel 370; Blackmer 444; Colas 782; Vinet 2337. 2) The Military Costume of Turkey. London: 1818. Hand-coloured engraved title, and 30 hand-coloured plates, with descriptive text (a little offsetting). Abbey Travel 373; Blackmer 1125; Colas 2059. Vinet 2338. 3) The Costume of the Hereditary States of the House of Austria. London: 1804. 50 hand-coloured engraved plates, text in French and English (marginal closed tear to two plates, a little offsetting). Abbey Travel 71; Colas 2112; Tooley 333; Vinet 2338. 4) PYNE, William Henry, The Costume of Great Britain. London: 1808. 60 hand-coloured plates, with descriptive text (a little offsetting, plates bound out of numbered order but complete). Abbey Life 430; Colas 2447; Tooley 388. 5) Costume of the Russian Empire. London, 1804. 73 hand-coloured plates with descriptive text in English (minor offsetting). Abbey Travel 245; Colas 702. Prideaux p. 317; Vinet 2322. 6) MASON, George Henry. The Costume of China. London, 1804. 60 hand-coloured engraved plates, text in English and French (minor offsetting). Abbey Travel 533; Brunet II, 324; Colas 2009; Tooley 320. 7) – The Punishments of China. London, 1804. 22 hand-coloured plates, text in English and French (minor offsetting). Abbey Travel 532; Colas 2010: The seven volumes are described in Bobins IV, 1246, 1-7.



7 volumes, quarto (360 x 258mm). A total of 358 contemporary hand-coloured engraved plates, with all backgrounds finely coloured. Fine contemporary straight grained blue-black morocco (unsigned but in the manner and quality of bindings by Charles Lewis) sides richly gilt and blind worked to a panel design, outer panel with fine wide blind scroll, inner panel with gilt tooled border, large central blind arabesque, spine with gilt ruled raised bands, richly gilt in compartments, edges and inner dentelles gilt, all edges gilt (extremities with very minor rubbing). Provenance: John Allunett (wealthy Clapham wine merchant whose noted art collection was sold by Christie's in 1863; bookplates).





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Place of origin:Northern Europe, Asia, Europe, United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.07.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
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