![Frans Balthazar Solvyns - The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 [-1805] [plates watermarked 1802 and 1804]. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott](/images/frans-balthazar-solvyns_the-costume-of-hindostan-london-w-bulmer-for-edward-orme-1804-1805-plates-watermarked-1802-and-1804-2deg-362-x-249mm-text-in-english-and-french-4-hand-coloured-soft-ground-etchings-and-56-hand-coloured-line-or-stipple-engraved-plat_AID596950.jpg?f=grey)
Frans Balthazar Solvyns
The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 [-1805] [plates watermarked 1802 and 1804]. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott
Estimate: 1.200 - 1.800 GBP
Price realised: 1.875 GBP
Price realised: 1.875 GBP
Description
FRANS BALTHAZAR SOLVYNS (1760-1824)
The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 [-1805] [plates watermarked 1802 and 1804]. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott or Vivares after Solvyns, with tissue guards. (Occasional light spotting, minor browning and offsetting as usual.) Contemporary speckled calf, boards richly gilt with outer floriate border containing eagle and caduceus tools, and an inner border of anthemion, red morocco label lettered in gilt to spine (joints split but firm, extremities somewhat rubbed, corners bumped, boards scuffed, tail-cap worn). Provenance: Frances Mary Richardson Currer (1785-1861), heiress and bibliophile, her armorial book plate to the front free endpaper; Mathew Wilson, his bookplate to the front paste down.
FIRST EDITION PUBLISHED IN BOOK FORM of Solvyns' superb record of the people of Bengal, based on drawings made when the artist was resident in Calcutta between 1791 and 1803. The work was first published in parts with an undated title page, and was followed by editions in 1804 (as here) and 1807. The popularity of the images however ensured that the work stayed in print for many years. It was based on Solvyn's earlier work containing 250 plates: The Manners, Customs and Dresses of the Hindoos (Calcutta: 1799). Abbey Travel, 429; Colas 2765; Brunet V, 433; cf. Lipperheide Ld9.
The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 [-1805] [plates watermarked 1802 and 1804]. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott or Vivares after Solvyns, with tissue guards. (Occasional light spotting, minor browning and offsetting as usual.) Contemporary speckled calf, boards richly gilt with outer floriate border containing eagle and caduceus tools, and an inner border of anthemion, red morocco label lettered in gilt to spine (joints split but firm, extremities somewhat rubbed, corners bumped, boards scuffed, tail-cap worn). Provenance: Frances Mary Richardson Currer (1785-1861), heiress and bibliophile, her armorial book plate to the front free endpaper; Mathew Wilson, his bookplate to the front paste down.
FIRST EDITION PUBLISHED IN BOOK FORM of Solvyns' superb record of the people of Bengal, based on drawings made when the artist was resident in Calcutta between 1791 and 1803. The work was first published in parts with an undated title page, and was followed by editions in 1804 (as here) and 1807. The popularity of the images however ensured that the work stayed in print for many years. It was based on Solvyn's earlier work containing 250 plates: The Manners, Customs and Dresses of the Hindoos (Calcutta: 1799). Abbey Travel, 429; Colas 2765; Brunet V, 433; cf. Lipperheide Ld9.
Upper estimated price slightly exceeded
The work The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 -1805 plates watermarked 1802 and 1804. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott by Balthazar Solvyns was sold in the Travel, Science and Natural History auction at Christies in London in April 2013. Here, the upper estimate of GBP 1,800.00 was slightly exceeded - the artwork found a new owner for GBP 1,875.00 (€ 2,212.61). Admittedly, works by Balthazar Solvyns have also been auctioned for a multiple of this price - according to our records, the highest result so far was achieved by the work Unknown in October 2012 with an auction result of GBP 13,750.00 (€ 17,095.71).
Oberer Schätzpreis leicht übertroffen
Die Arbeit The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 -1805 plates watermarked 1802 and 1804. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott von Balthazar Solvyns wurde im April 2013 in der Auktion Travel, Science and Natural History bei Christies in London versteigert. Dabei wurde der obere Schätzpreis von GBP 1.800,00 leicht übertroffen – das Kunstwerk fand für GBP 1.875,00 (€ 2.212,61) einen neuen Besitzer. Freilich wurden Arbeiten von Balthazar Solvyns auch schon für ein Vielfaches dieses Preises versteigert – das bisher höchste Ergebnis erzielte nach unseren Aufzeichnungen die Arbeit Unknown im Oktober 2012 mit einem Auktionsergebnis von GBP 13.750,00 (€ 17.095,71).
Balthazar Solvyns - Auction history
![Frans Balthazar Solvyns - The Costume of Hindostan. London: W. Bulmer for Edward Orme, 1804 [-1805] [plates watermarked 1802 and 1804]. 2° (362 x 249mm). Text in English and French, 4 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings and 56 hand-coloured line- or stipple-engraved plates by Scott](/images/frans-balthazar-solvyns_the-costume-of-hindostan-london-w-bulmer-for-edward-orme-1804-1805-plates-watermarked-1802-and-1804-2deg-362-x-249mm-text-in-english-and-french-4-hand-coloured-soft-ground-etchings-and-56-hand-coloured-line-or-stipple-engraved-plat_AID596950_320x320.jpg)
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