An outstanding example. An exceptional example. Most copies were issued uncoloured. A few were sold with hand-colouring and a smaller number were issued heightened with gold and mica. Very few copies, however, have as many engravings heightened with mica as the present one.

This important work forms the 'basic prototype for Levantine costume plates' (Atabey). The most luxurious edition, with hand-coloured plates, many enhanced with gold and mica, arguably the finest colour plate costume book of the Ottoman Empire.

In addition to the sixty or so plates depicting Turkish Court, noble, military and other costumes, the work illustrates the regional, religious or national costume of several other parts of the Turkish Empire. These include Greeks (10); Albanians (2); Jews (3); Hungarians (2); Wallachians (3); Bulgarians (2); Crimean Tartars (1); Armenians (5); Persians (2); Indians (2); Arabs (1); Barbary Coast (4); and Moors (1).

The plates for this work were commissioned by Charles de Ferriol (1652-1722), the French Ambassador to the Porte between 1699 and 1709. The plates were engraved after drawings by the Flemish artist J.B. van Mour, who lived and worked in Constantinople for many years during the first part of the eighteenth century. It has been suggested that van Mour came to Constantinople with the entourage of Ferriol in 1699. When the paintings were complete, Ferriol helped Le Hay to publish the present prints of the pictures. Le Hay's work was an instant success and the plates quickly became the principal source of turqueries for artists and publishers throughout Europe. In recognition of van Mour's talents, he was granted the unique post of 'Peintre ordinaire du Roi en Levant' in 1725.

Van Mour's paintings (and the plates that derive from them) show Constantinople as a cosmopolitan place with Muslims and non-Muslims uniting in shared 'Ottoman' pleasures. Armenians, Franks, Greeks and Persians are shown drinking coffee, playing mankeh (a version of backgammon), or making music.

Folio (49 x 33 cm approx.), engraved throughout, comprising: title with preface by Cars on verso, 'Anecdotes' (pp.I-II), 'Explication des figures' (pp.III-XIV), leaf of music (printed recto only), and 102 engraved plates (3 double-page), all with fine contemporary hand-colouring, 30 plates heightened with gold and mica. Bound in full contemporary French red morroco, gilt tooled. Some restoration to spine extremities. A fine example.

Atabey 430 (not coloured); Brunet 947-48; Blackmer 591; Colas 1819-20.