Habitus
One of the most beautiful and most famous collections of costumes from the 16th century in European and Eastern countries.
Precious copy preserved in its period binding.
Oblong in-folio of (5) leaves, 63 engraved plates.
Tawny calf, double gilt fillet framing the covers, large azure corner-pieces, large azure and gilt centerpiece, spine with raised bands decorated with gilt ornaments, outer margin of the last leaves frayed without affecting the border, restorations to the spine. Contemporary binding.
355 x 260 mm.
Boissard, Jean-Jacques. Habitus. Variarum Orbis gentium. Habitz de Nations estra(n)ge(re)s.
S. l. (Malines), Caspar Rutz, 1581.
First edition of one of the very earliest artistic collections of costumes from various countries of Europe and the Orient in the rare printing with 63 plates.
Colas, no.366; Brunet, I, 1288; Destailleur, no.374; Lipperheide, 14; Rahir, Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 331.
An antiquarian and poet from Franche-Comté, Jean-Jacques Boissard studied at the University of Louvain before traveling to Germany and Italy, where he discovered a true passion for ancient masterpieces.
He undertook advanced studies in drawing under the patronage of Cardinal Carpi.
Having made numerous sketches, drawings, and studies during his years-long European journey, Boissard conceived the project of a vast illustrated collection on the costumes and clothing of different nations.
This aesthetically striking collection represents 182 figures of costumes from various countries, mainly women's, on 63 superb plates (310 x 230 mm) each showing 3 figures engraved in burin.
It is dedicated to C.A. de Vienne, advisor to Henri de Navarre, the future Henri IV, whose children received lessons from Boissard.
Adorned with a title leaf featuring representations of the 4 continents, the collection opens with Venice, the artist’s favorite city, and Italian fashion: Venetian masks, fans, games with capes, women veiled in transparency, nobles, and courtesans.
21 very beautiful plates are devoted to France and very precisely depict the attitudes and attire at the court of King Henri III.
Costumes of Bavaria, Switzerland, Calabria, Greece, Armenia, Africa, the Levant… as well as Syria and Arabia are elegantly portrayed, with the artist’s clear preference for female figures.
This book is extremely rare and complete with all its plates.
Precious copy belonging to the very rare 2nd state (out of 3) adorned with 63 copperplate engravings, of which 18 are before numbering.
The captions are in Latin, French, and German.
A careful examination of 2 copies allows a correction to the bibliographers' description, as both Brunet, Colas, and Lipperheide state the first edition has 67 plates.
The introduction to copies of this rare suite in 67 plates published in Malines in 1581 indeed mentions that it includes added plates: no.5 bis, no.20 bis, no.25 bis.
Before this original edition in 67 plates, two printings appeared: the first, extremely rare, with 61 engravings (Tolbiac RES. G. 1666); the second, presented here, with 63 plates, equally rare.
These first two printings are infinitely rarer than the definitive edition.
Precious copy preserved in its period decorated binding.
