Young Indian Dancer, Antique Hand-Colored Costume Print, Berghaus, 1854

Young Indian Dancer, 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 JEUGDIG DANSER BIJ DE HINDO'S., which reads in English as young dancer among the Hindus. The plate shows a single young dancer standing at full length. The coloring is applied by hand over a printed outline.

The dancer faces the viewer with bare upper body, a mark painted on the forehead and a tall ornament in yellow, green and white mounted high on top of the head above hair dressed with flowers at either side. Several long necklaces hang over the chest with a square gilt pendant, and armlets and bracelets are worn on both arms. A long thin stick is held across the body in both hands. A blue cloak hangs from the shoulders behind, and the red and white garment at the hips is bound with white bands hung with rosettes, with a white cloth falling in front to the knees. Yellow and red bands are tied at the ankles. Behind the figure are a pale blue stone step and the base of a pillar.

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.

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.

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