Male and Female Dancers of European Turkey, Hand Colored Lithograph, 1842

An original antique lithograph, hand colored, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image shows two men dancing on open ground with their arms raised. Both wear tall red caps with tassels. The man at left has an embroidered vest under a green sash wound across his body and full purple trousers; the man at right wears a white shirt with wide sleeves, a red vest edged in yellow, a red sash and full blue trousers. The lower image shows two women dancing, each veiled in white below the eyes, holding small clappers in their raised hands. They wear yellow banded jackets over magenta bodices, brown fringed capes, and full white skirts patterned in yellow and trimmed with dark fur, with yellow slippers. The capes swing out with the movement of the dance, and the woman at right raises an open hand above her head. The men dance in soft slippers on a plain with a low bush and rocks at left.

The lettering reads "Tav 128" at upper left, "TURCHIA EUROPEA" in the center and "Tom IV" at upper right. The captions read "Ballerini" (Male Dancers) and "Ballerine" (Female Dancers).

Turchia Europea, European Turkey, was the name then given to the Ottoman Empire's lands in southeastern Europe. Professional dancers performed at weddings, festivals and private entertainments across the empire.

Full of movement and color, the plate is a lively choice for a music room or a collection of dance prints.

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