Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1800
Mapmaker / artist
A. Vinkeles, Netherlands, circa 1800
Technique
Copper engraving
Sheet size
21 × 24 cm (8.3 × 9.4 in)
Reference
BG-11645-1-8
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
Crisp impression with visible plate marks. Original folds as issued; faint toning along folds and minor edge creasing. No tears or losses. Paper is full-margined and well preserved.
About this sheet
Burmese State Official, His Wife, and a Secretary in Ceremonial Dress – Antique Costume Print, circa 1800
This finely executed Dutch engraving titled “Staats-Dienaar en Zijn Vrouw – Staats-Secretaris – Allen in Hunne Staatskleedij” (“State Official and His Wife – State Secretary – All in Their Ceremonial Dress”) offers a rich depiction of Burmese court officials and their spouses in full formal attire. Dating to around 1800, this scene belongs to a rare series of prints documenting the ceremonial hierarchy of the Burmese royal court, likely drawn from visual material associated with Michael Symes’ 1795 embassy to the Kingdom of Ava.
At left stands the wife of a state official, gracefully holding a folding fan. She is dressed in a richly patterned long skirt and a delicate shawl draped diagonally across her torso. Her appearance is elegant and composed, her hair arranged in a style appropriate to her high status.
In the center is the Burmese state official, dressed in a long, flowing robe and wearing a tall ceremonial headdress. He holds a circular fan of authority and wears a large medallion or insignia on his chest, signifying rank. His layered garments are carefully engraved to show embroidered textures and ornamental trim.
To the right is a state secretary, similarly attired in formal robes with a fan slung over his shoulder. Though slightly more modest in dress than the central figure, his posture and garments still reflect his important position within the courtly bureaucracy.
These figures represent the structured nature of Burmese governance during the Konbaung dynasty, and the attention paid to clothing as a marker of role and rank. The inclusion of both male and female figures also illustrates the ceremonial participation of elite women in public life.
Framing tips: Best presented in a classic black or dark wood frame with a wide ivory mat. Floating the sheet will allow full appreciation of the engraved border and symmetry of the composition.
