Giulio Ferrario (1767–1847) - Il costume antico e moderno – Asia, Volume Secondo - 1829

Giulio Ferrario – Il costume antico e moderno – Asia, Volume Secondo – Turin, 1829

Dritte Ausgabe – Alessandro Fontana – Historische handkolorierte Kupfertafeln – Zeitgenössischer Halbledereinband

Offered is the second Asia volume from Giulio Ferrario's significant cultural-historical work Il costume antico e moderno, ovvero Storia del governo, della milizia, della religione, delle arti, scienze ed usanze di tutti i popoli antichi e moderni.

Bibliographical Information

* Author: Giulio Ferrario (1767–1847)
* Title: Il costume antico e moderno
* Part: Asia – Volume Secondo
* Edition: Terza edizione (3rd edition)
* Place of publication: Torino (Turin)
* Publisher: Alessandro Fontana
* Year of publication: 1829
* Language: Italian
* Binding: Contemporary half-leather bound with marbled boards and gold-embossed spine

Content and Illustrations

The volume is part of Ferrario's extensive, richly illustrated panorama of the cultures, religions, historical costumes, and monuments of the world.

Particularly noteworthy are the numerous historical copperplate engravings, many of which were carefully hand-colored.

The illustrations depict, among other things:

* Historical Japanese and Indian costumes
* Weapons, armor, and military representations from Asia
* Hindu deities and religious imagery
* Indian temples and rock-cut sanctuaries
* The monumental complexes of Kailasa and Mahabalipuram
* Elaborately adorned colonnaded halls and historical palace architecture
* Akbar's tomb and Haider Ali Khan's mausoleum

Especially the large-format architectural views and the color plates of religious and cultural-historical motifs make this volume an interesting testimony to European engagement with Asia in the early 19th century.

Plates and Completeness

The volume contains 25 of the originally planned 26 numbered plates (Nos. 25–50).

Only one plate in the area around page 470 is missing. All other plates are present, including the large-format or double-page illustrations.

The historical colorings predominantly display beautiful, vivid colors.

Condition

For its age of almost 200 years, the book is overall in very good antiquarian condition.

The contemporary half-leather binding has an attractive historical patina, decorative gold tooling on the spine, and marbled covers.

Age-appropriate signs of use are present, particularly wear on the binding, minor bumps, scattered stains and paper discolorations, and, in places, small scorch or heat marks and damage to individual leaves.

The illustrated copperplates are mostly well preserved and present with clear printing and appealing colorings.

A handsome copy for collectors of historical travel literature, illustrated books, early ethnographic depictions, and Asian art and architectural history.

Note / Disclaimer

This is an antique original from 1829 with corresponding age and signs of use.

The plate sequence has been checked. Of the originally 26 plates, 25 are present; one plate in the area around page 470 is explicitly missing.

The photographs are part of the description and document the actual condition. Please review all images carefully.

Private sale from a collection of historical travel and illustrated books built up over more than 30 years.