Recueil de XII costumes suisses civils et militaires, hommes et femmes, du seizième siècle. Gravés d'après les dessins originaux du celèbre Jean Holbein, qui se trouvent à la bibliotèque publique de la ville de Basle

Basel: C. de Mechel, 1790. First Edition. Fine. Chrétien de Mechel after Hans Holbein. Folio, 14 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches (360 x 263 mm; hand-colored aquatint title and 12 etchings & aquatint plates with hand-colroing in watercolor by Chrétien de Méchel after Hans Holbein the Younger. Handsome contemporary mosaic binding in red morocco, inlaid dark green border with red and yellow dots and yellow corner piece designs, gilt board edges and turn-ins, gilt designs on spine and green label with gilt title, spine a little rubbed, marbled endpapers, a.e.g.; preserved in a slipcase with marbled paper and red morocco profiles, a little rubbed and faded.

[Cohen / deRicci 493; Colas 1462; Rahir, Bibliothèque de l'Amateur, p. 661; Brunet III 251-252; Cicognara 2044; Bobins 490; Vinet 2177]. Housed in a stunning mosaic binding, this rare folio contains a complete suite of 12 magnificently-colored plates, the third part of a series of 4 comprising Holbein's oeuvre published in Basel by Chrétien de Mechel, from 1780 to 1792, and usually found in uncolored state. The Swiss civil and military costumes, originally drawn by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497 - 1543) and housed in the Basel Public Library. Chrétien de Mechel renders these drawings in a robust and precise manner for this edition, featuring 6 women and 6 men, some in military costume. More commonly encountered lacking the hand-coloring (en bistre), each of these scarce engravings appears fresh, and in superb condition with excellent saturation and extensive, bright coloration. An excellent exemplar of this rare, hand-colored volume.
A copy can be found in the Robert Wylie Lloyd collection at the British Museum, inv. 1958.0712.3056.1-12.