The Costume of China; The Punishments of China; The Costume of the Russian Empire; The Costume of Turkey; The Costume of Great Britain; The Costumes and Customs of Modern India.
Mason, George Henry; Alexander, William; Dalvimart, Octavien; Pyne, William Henry; D'Oyly, Charles & Thomas Williamson.
London: William Miller, [& Edward Ormey for Modern India], 1800; 1801; 1803; 1804; 1804; c.1824. First editions (and one Second). The Costume of Turkey is the second edition of 1804 (following the first of 1802), with the rest all first editions. Together 6 volumes, folio (360 x 253 mm). 19th-century red straight-grain morocco, spines lettered in gilt, gilt in compartments, wide gilt and blind borders to covers, marbled endpapers, gilt edges; Costumes of India in variant binding to a similar style. Illustrated throughout with hand-colored stipple engraved plates as follows (one plate used as frontispiece in each volume other than India): China: 60 plates; Punishments of China: 22 plates; Russian Empire: 73 plates; Turkey: title vignette and 60 plates; Great Britain: title vignette and 60 plates; India: 20 plates. Bookplate to each of Samuel James, Baron Waring (1860–1940), businessman and promoter of the decorative arts. Colour expertly retouched at extremities, a few patches of darkening to morocco, minor foxing to endpapers, some offsetting and trivial finger-soiling to contents, plate XVII of Punishments with 8 cm closed tear not affecting image. An excellent set.
A very handsome set of these six grand Georgian colour plate books, richly illustrating the costumes and peoples of the world; comprising five volumes issued by William Miller and Edward Ormey's volume on the costumes of India, all bound to a similar style in the first half of the 19th century.
Abbey 533; 532; 244; 370; 430 (Life); 440 (the Abbey copies often later editions, but collation and plate counts the same). (Item #4054)
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