Fashion & Costume · 19th century
€ 465
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good condition considering its age. General age-related toning, occasional light foxing and minor handling wear. Please study the image carefully.
Original Antique Costume Print "La Tapada" of Lima, Peru by A.A. Bonnaffé, 1855
An original antique lithograph titled "La Tapada", depicting one of the most distinctive and elegant cultural traditions of nineteenth-century Lima, Peru. The print was drawn by the French artist A. A. Bonnaffé and published in 1855 as part of his celebrated album Recuerdos de Lima.
The image portrays a Limeña wearing the famous saya y manto, a unique costume consisting of a fitted overskirt (saya) and a dark silk veil (manto) that concealed nearly the entire face, leaving only one eye visible. This remarkable fashion became an enduring symbol of colonial and early republican Lima.
The tapada limeña fascinated both local society and foreign travellers. By concealing her identity, the wearer enjoyed an unusual degree of anonymity and social freedom, allowing women to move through the city while remaining unrecognisable. Contemporary writers frequently described the *tapada* as mysterious, elegant and flirtatious.
In this composition Bonnaffé emphasizes the graceful silhouette of the costume and the deliberately revealed ankle, a subtle but celebrated feature of the tapada tradition that was regarded as both fashionable and alluring. His carefully observed figures are among the finest visual records of nineteenth-century Peruvian dress and daily life.
French painter Auguste-Antoine Bonnaffé travelled in Peru during the 1850s and produced Recuerdos de Lima, one of the most beautiful and important illustrated records of the city and its inhabitants. Originally intended for travellers and collectors, the album is now highly regarded for its artistic quality and ethnographic significance.
This is an original antique lithograph printed in 1855. It is not a modern reproduction.
Maker: A. A. Bonnaffé
Title: La Tapada (Saya y Manto)
Series: Recuerdos de Lima
Place of publication: Lima, Peru
Date: 1855
Technique: Lithograph with original hand colouring
Origin: Peru
Condition:
Good condition considering its age. General age-related toning, occasional light foxing and minor handling wear. Please study the image carefully.
The framed and interior visuals are provided for imagination and presentation purposes only. The original antique print is sold unframed.
Keywords:
La Tapada, Tapada Limeña, Saya y Manto, Lima, Peru, Peruvian costume, Peruvian dress, traditional costume, South America, Latin America, A. A. Bonnaffé, Auguste Antoine Bonnaffé, Recuerdos de Lima, 1855, original antique print, original lithograph, hand-coloured lithograph, costume print, ethnographic print, nineteenth century, colonial fashion, Limeña, historical costume, decorative print, Peruvian culture, travel art, antique costume print.
These Bonnaffé costume prints are highly decorative and increasingly sought after by collectors of Latin American art and travel imagery.
