Le costume ancien et moderne ou l'historire du gouvernement
Author
Dr Jules Ferrario
Date1832
Object number00008917
NameBook
MediumInk on paper, marbled boards, leather, gilt
DimensionsOverall: 373 x 275 mm
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA volume from a series by Dr Giulio Ferrario titled 'Le costume ancien et moderne ou histoire du gouvernmen't.
This is the last volume and focusus on Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and other Pacific islands.
Pages 381- 410 relate to Australia, 'Costume des habitants de la Nouvelle Hollande', with nine (numbered 57 to 65) aqua-tinted plates of Indigenous Australians, Australian flora and fauna.
The other islands covered are Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii. The illustrations are re-engraved from Pacific explorers De Freycinet, Labillardiere, Cook and others.HistoryDr Giulio Ferrario's work "Le Costume Ancien et Moderne ou Histoire" was a 19th century multi volume / language world encyclopaedia of culture, vividly illustrated almost all finely hand-coloured. The work was one of the most decorative aquatint publications published in Italy. The text was written by Giulio Ferrario and the plates engraved by Raineri, Gallo Gallina, etc.
Published in Milan simultaneously in Italian and French, the complete French title was "Le Costume Ancien et Moderne ou Histoire du gouvernement, de la milice, de la religion, des arts, sciences et usages de tous les peuples anciens et modernes d'après les monuments de l'antiquité et accompagné de dessins analogues au sujet par le Docteur Jules Ferrario."
The complete work was reviewed in the London journal 'Art Union' in 1842 whose opinion was;
"Works like this one are of great importance to all those who desire to obtain an accurate knowledge of the costume, habits and manner, progress of Art and literature exhibited buy nations in their career. ..The work, which forms the subject of this notice, must not be considered as solely applied the illustration of the manners, habits, and customs of the nations it embraces on its design. It is a vast repertory of facts in the arts, laws, literature, and social life of ancient and modern empires. It is compiled from the best of authors; and although we regret the plates are not finished in the style of more recent works, yet they are fully sufficient, are very numerous, nor is it easy to conceive they could have been produced in a more embellished manner, without an outlay materially enhancing the expense of this most extensive undertaking."
SignificanceThis significant work by Giulio Ferrario was monumental for its time. Ferrario collaborated with a wide range of artists and scholars and the work became hugely popular. The scale of the work was ambitious as it covers not only customs and 'costumes' of people across the world but also historical, geographical, ethnological and anthropological commentary touching upon regions such as Oceania that were still relatively unknown for readers at the time.
