Boston

1909 — Very Good Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928) Original red cloth bdg. Bilingual titles on two boards and title pages in French and Ottoman script. Slight age-related toning to pages, the Ottoman face of cloth is stained. Spine restored skillfully. 4to. (28 x 20 cm). Text entirely in Ottoman Turkish. 2 volumes set: ([4], 92 p., 19 color plts.; 52 p., 8 color plts. -of which five illustrate the symbols and flags of the different companies of janissaries and two depict the Grand Vizier and the Capudan Pacha-). All plates are complete. Hegira 1325 = Gregorian 1909. Rare first edition of the early uniform book of the Ottoman army with the most attractive color plates ever and extremely rare with its complete plates. The artist of the plates was Hüsnü Tengüz (1876-1950), one of the most famous Turkish painters. He was assigned to the Military Museum Commission by Mahmut Sevket Pasha in 1908-1909, and after 1910, he was appointed as the painter of the Naval Museum, until 1917. "Premiere Partie 1326 jusqu'a 1826 avec 247 gravures coloriees. Par Mahmoud Chevket Pacha General Divisionnaire Inspecteur general des 1er, 2me et 3me Ordous. Prix 20 Piastres". In this work by Mahmud Shevket Pasha, who was the Ottoman Grand Vizier and the Commander of the Movement Army, dealing with the Ottoman military organization together with military clothing and uniforms; the clothes of the soldiers belonging to these organizations are exhibited together on their exquisitely beautiful plates. The descriptions of the pictures cover all the military classes serving in the Ottoman army. The two parts refer to the two periods of Turkish military organization: Pt. One (figures 1-48) depicts the Ottoman court functionaries, Pt. Two (figures 1-58) the new army. Özege 16005.; Atabey 238.; Not in BLC. GL (Part One only); OCLC: 16110303, 27957549, Not in Blackmer. Bebek 134.