Baten, J. Le costume francais 1789-1830.

[France], no date.

16 leaves with original gouaches. Original wrappers. Folio.

 5,000.00

Stunning collection of 16 original gouaches with accompanying descriptive text (handwritten in an elegant hand in French and mounted on cardstock to versus opposite image they are describing) all by a skilled artist (one "J. Baten" as noted on cover). The monotone (with occasional highlights of color) fashion plates are executed in a striking white on dark grey heavy stock, lending the entire production a ghostly quality not out of place in these studies of bygone French fashions. Based on design and handwriting, we date most likely to the first half of the 20th century. The style of the gouaches themselves - somewhere between Deco and Nouveau - would lend credence to this assessment. 5 plates show men, one of a man and woman, ten of women only. Exceptional.