The Grand Vizier, the Kaimakam, the Reis Efendi and a Secretary of State, 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 bearded dignitaries: on the left the Grand Vizier in a tall white turban wound with orange bands, a long blue gray robe and a brown fur overcoat, with yellow slippers; on the right the Kaimakam in a tall white ribbed cap and a crimson robe lined with brown fur, a small building with a peaked roof at the left and a white house at the right in the background. The lower image shows the Reis Efendi in a dark round cap banded with gold and a purple robe faced with pale fur, and a white bearded Secretary of State in a very tall white cap and a crimson robe trimmed with fur, a town wall and hills behind them.

The top margin is lettered "Tav. 109", "EUROPA" and "Tom IV". Under the upper image: "Gran Visir" (Grand Vizier) and "Kaim-Mekam" (Kaimakam). Under the lower image: "Reis-Efendi" (Reis Efendi) and "Segretario di Stato" (Secretary of State).

In the Ottoman Empire the Grand Vizier was the sultan's chief minister, and the Kaimakam acted as his deputy. The Reis Efendi was the head of the chancery, who in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries handled the empire's foreign affairs. Fur lined robes and tall caps or turbans marked rank at the Ottoman court.

Four imposing figures in rich crimson, purple and blue make this a strong plate for a study, and it pairs well with other plates of Ottoman dress.

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