Habillemens D’Hommes & de Femmes de Diverses Provinces de la China Avec un des plus Beaux Monumens de ce Pais La

Clothing of Men & Women from Various Provinces of China With One of the Most Beautiful Monuments of This Country – Approximate Title Translation

Twelve full-body portraits present a Chinese fashion parade from the King and his Consort to the peasants of Sichuan. The center image shows a massive stone bridge 400 cubits long in the Province of Shaanxi. The copperplate-engraved sheet was originally published in Paris as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was re-printed in numerous in several subsequent editions until the late 1730s. The scholarly, but approachable, work was aimed at a broad audience, eager for new information during the Age of Enlightenment. The breadth of content offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science. The descriptive text (in French) and skillfully engraved maps, diagrams, and illustrations provide a fascinating window into the world of the early 18th century.