Circassian Prince of Greater Kabarda, Antique Hand-Colored Print, 1854

Circassian Prince of Greater Kabarda, an original antique hand colored print of 1854 from the second volume of Heinrich Berghaus's work on the peoples of the world in its Dutch edition. The plate is captioned in Dutch VORST DER TSCHERKESSEN VAN DE GROOTE KABARDA., which reads in English as prince of the Circassians of Greater Kabarda. The figure is shown in armor, standing at full length. The coloring is applied by hand over a printed outline.

He stands slightly turned to the right, left hand on his hip and a stern look under a rounded steel helmet with a gilt band and a feather at the top. A mail hood covers his head and neck, and mail sleeves show at his arms. Over the mail he wears a red tunic dotted with small white motifs and edged in gold, a full white skirt with a pink band, dark breeches, gray hose and red shoes with pointed toes. At his left side hang a bow in a gilt-mounted case and a curved saber in its scabbard, the blade case projecting behind him to the right. He stands on a small patch of ground washed in green and ocher.

The caption is the only lettering on the sheet. No artist, lithographer or printer is named on the plate, and it carries no plate number. The figure stands on the plain paper of the page with no frame line, and the caption is printed in small capitals below.

The plate comes from the second volume of De Volken van den Aardbodem, the Dutch edition of Heinrich Berghaus's illustrated work on the peoples of the world, translated from the German by M. J. van Oven and published at Gorinchem by J. Noorduyn en Zoon in 1854. The title page of the volume announces 120 extra fine plates colored after nature. Berghaus was a German geographer, best known for his Physikalischer Atlas. Kabarda lies on the northern slopes of the central Caucasus, and the Kabardians are one of the Circassian peoples.

Light uneven toning, browner towards the edges. Marked handling soiling along all four edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom right corner. Several larger brown marks.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.