Lot n° 127
Estimation :
500 - 800
EUR
Result without fees
Result
: 2 100EUR
127. SOLVYNS (F. Baltazard). The Hindus. Paris, by the autho - Lot 127
127. SOLVYNS (F. Baltazard). The Hindus. Paris, by the author and H. Nicolle, from the printing house of Mame frères, 1810.
Large folio volume, 59 x 44 cm, (of 4) of (2) f., 16 p., 69 plates (of 72) of which 11 (of 12) are double-page plates and their unnumbered explanatory leaf. Half morocco in olive green colour with corners (contemporary), smooth spine decorated.Remarkable illustration engraved in colour and enhanced by hand at the time. The author Frans Balthazar Solvyns (1760-1824) is a Belgian painter and engraver. He lived in Calcutta from 1791 to 1803. His engraved work bears witness to 18th century Calcutta, history, customs, costumes, etc. He is considered a pioneer of Indian ethnography. After having published in India a first work illustrated with 250 plates which was a commercial failure, Solvyns repeated the experience in Europe with this work rich of 288 plates in 4 volumes and finished ruining himself.
Here, only the second volume is offered for sale. It presents a certain number of defects, 3 plates are missing, one of which is double, there is some foxing, a very light angular and marginal wetness (only the last 3 plates are affected in their bowl), the binding is rubbed. This volume is devoted to the costumes of Hindus of different social classes and of both sexes, including fakirs, courtesans, dancers, hermaphrodites etc. It contains 33 plates of musicians with their traditional instruments. The double plates are mostly devoted to religious or funeral ceremonies such as weddings, festivals, burials or immolations of widows.
Colas tells us that this book is rare and that only a few complete copies exist.
(Colas, II, 2787; Brunet, V, 432))
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