Antique Hand-Colored Engraving of Chinese Costume & Footbinding, 1815
€ 390
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1815
Mapmaker / artist
Andrea Bernieri after Giulio Ferrario, Milan (Italy), circa 1815
Technique
Hand-colored copperplate engraving
Sheet size
35.4 × 25.4 cm (13.9 × 10.0 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13000-70
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Good antique condition consistent with age. Light age toning and minor handling marks to margins; plate impression visible. Colors remain fresh. Original embossed blind stamp visible, as issued, with possible light overlap into the image area.
About this sheet
Antique Chinese Costume & Footbinding Study, Ferrario Hand-Colored Engraving 1815
A rare and historically significant early nineteenth-century hand-colored copperplate engraving depicting traditional women’s costume and the practice of footbinding in Kiangnan Province, China. This plate originates from Giulio Ferrario’s monumental ethnographic publication Il Costume Antico e Moderno di Tutti i Popoli (Milan, circa 1815), one of the most ambitious illustrated surveys of world cultures produced during the Enlightenment era. The engraving was executed by Andrea Bernieri and reflects the European fascination with Chinese society, dress, and customs during the period of expanding global trade and cultural exchange.
The composition is divided into two carefully structured panels. The upper section portrays women from the Kiangnan region dressed in flowing silk robes and traditional headwear, rendered with refined linework and delicate hand-coloring. Their garments demonstrate the European interest in textile richness, silhouette, and cultural identity, conveying both ethnographic curiosity and aesthetic elegance. The figures are presented in profile and three-quarter view, emphasizing posture, costume construction, and ornament.
The lower section illustrates one of the most historically discussed cultural practices of imperial China: footbinding. Detailed images of embroidered shoes accompany depictions of bound feet, providing visual documentation of the transformation associated with this tradition. Such imagery was intended to educate European audiences about unfamiliar customs, reflecting both anthropological observation and the interpretative lens of early nineteenth-century European publishers.
Ferrario’s work occupies an important position between scientific documentation and decorative printmaking. The engraving combines scholarly ambition with artistic clarity, making it appealing to collectors interested in Asian history, cultural anthropology, fashion history, or early ethnographic illustration. Its balanced layout and refined coloring also lend themselves well to interior design settings, where cultural narrative and visual delicacy are valued.
Condition: Good antique condition consistent with age. Light age toning and minor handling marks to margins; plate impression visible. Colors remain fresh and well-preserved.
Framing tips: A dark walnut or ebonized frame with a wide ivory mat enhances the subtle hand-coloring and reinforces a museum-quality presentation. The vertical format works well as a focal piece within a gallery wall of ethnographic or Asian-themed prints.
