SOLVYNS, Frans Balthazar (1760-1824). The Costume of Hindostan, London, 1804, folio, text in English and French, 60 hand-coloured aquatint plates, contemporary red half roan (rubbed). FIRST EUROPEAN EDITION.

SOLVYNS, Frans Balthazar (1760-1824).  The Costume of Hindostan, elucidated by Sixty Coloured Engravings; with Descriptions in English and French, taken in the Years 1798 and 1799. London: Published by George Orme, 1804. Folio (360 x 255mm). Text in English and French, 60 hand-coloured aquatint plates by Scott or T. Vivares after Solvyns (the preface and first plate heavily spotted, some other lighter spotting and staining but plates generally clean, plates offset onto text). 19th-century half red roan gilt, marbled endpapers (heavily rubbed in patches, some staining, bumped). Provenance: From the Collection of the late Seymour Stein (1942-2023); leaf with [?]stamped coat-of-arms and inscription relating to a Leipzig museum dated 1966 inserted at the front. FIRST EUROPEAN EDITION. "The genesis of the book is a series of Two hundred and Fifty Drawings descriptive of the manners, customs, and dresses of the Hindoos, by B. Solvyns, the originals of which are in the National Art Library. These were published at Calcutta with the above title in 1799, the plates being etched, and coloured by  hand, and a separate catalogue being issued with descriptive text. From Solvyns' drawings W. Orme ... made a set of sixty water-colour copies (also in the National Art Library), infinitely better drawn than the originals; and Orme's drawings are the originals of the plates in The Costume of Hindostan, in which Solvyns appears as the artist without any acknowledgement being made of the Calcutta publications. The plates are in stipple, and seem to be all by Scott with the exception of four very poor ones by T. Vivares" (Hardie). Abbey Travel 429; Brunet IV, 305; Colas 2765; Hardie English Coloured Books p.132.