[DALVIMART, Octavien or d'ALVIMAR(T)]. CLARK. - Lot 56

[DALVIMART, Octavien or d'ALVIMAR(T)]. CLARK. The Military costume of Turkey. Illustrated By a Series of Engravings, From Drawings made on the Spot. London, published by Tho(mas) Mc Lean, January 1, 1818. Small n-folio. [4] ff. (false title, title, dedication and table), VIII-30 pp. 30 aquatints in black, finely watercolored at the time. Contemporary long-grained English green morocco, gilt scrolls and fillets framing the boards, spine with 5 faux nerfs, gilt title, richly decorated caissons, gilt edges (binding rubbed, spine faded, upper jaw split by qque cm at tail, upper cap missing, slight discharge of the prints on the text pages, a few scattered freckles, small light lateral soiling on a few ff.). Exceptional engraved suite, complete with plates, in its contemporary binding. First edition in this form. Drawn from life in 1798 by d'Alvimar, then engraved in aquatint by John Clark (very discreet signature engraved at the foot of each figure), this suite features a full-length portrait of the Greek Antonaki Ramadani Enfendi, Turkish ambassador, who is said to have posed in London for this portrait, as frontispiece, an engraved title page with a large vignette depicting the Grand Vizier on horseback at the head of his marching army, a title page, a dedication, a preface, a table of plates, and each plate accompanied by a text explaining the rank, role and uniform details of the figure, by William Miller. Often cited under the name of Wageman, this suite is the work of d'Alvimar, and this 1818 Mc Lean edition is both a reprint, since the figures appeared with Miller as part of his 1802 suite en planches, and the first edition in this form, dedicated to Antonaki Ramadani, "Minister Plenipotentiary of the Ottoman Porte to the Court of London". Publisher's note to the reader informing that he has acquired all costume book plates previously published by Miller. Gaëtan-Octavien Souchet d'Alvimart (1770-1854), sometimes known as Souchet as a military man, was an atypical figure of the late 18th century, at once a military man close to Napoleon Bonaparte, with whom he was at Brienne and with whom he fought, an artist, a writer and an adventurous traveler. A good copy. Stamp with N.M. on verso of each plate, not referenced by Lugst. Colas, 2059. Abbey Travel II, 373. Blackmer, 1125. Hage Chahine, 3211.