Les quatre premiers livres des Navigations et Peregrinations Orientales thumbnail 1
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Les quatre premiers livres des Navigations et Peregrinations Orientales

Book
1568 (published)
Artist/Maker
Nicolas De Nicolay (author)
Rovillé, Guillaume (publisher)
Daven, Léon (engraver)
Place of origin
Lyon (published)

Printed book with hand-coloured title-page and 60 hand-coloured engravings.
Missing leaf **4.

Object details

Categories
National Art Library
Books
Costumes
Tourism & Travel
Object type
Book
TitleLes quatre premiers livres des Navigations et Peregrinations Orientales (published title)
Materials and techniques
Half leather hollow back with cloth sides, machine made endbands, single fold tipped in endleaves.
Paper
Leather
Pasteboards
Printing
Copper Engraving
Hand-Colouring
Brief description
Book, Les quatre premiers livres des Navigations et Peregrinations Orientales, by Nicolas de Nicolay, Lyon: Guillaume Rouille, 1568.
Physical description
Printed book with hand-coloured title-page and 60 hand-coloured engravings.
Missing leaf **4.
Dimensions
  • Binding height: 178mm (closed) (Note: Measured in Book Conservation measuring box)
  • Width: 125mm (closed) (Note: Measured in Book Conservation measuring box)
  • Depth: 30mm (closed) (Note: Measured in Book Conservation measuring box)
Gallery label
(2024)
Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, V&A:

CADILESKER OR CHIEF JUDGE, IN 'TRAVELS AND VOYAGES IN TURKEY'
1567–8
Nicolas de Nicolay (1517–83)

Nicolay's influential books were among the first to provide first-hand images of Turkish people and their customs. He based the books on observations and sketches he made while accompanying a French delegation to Istanbul in 1551. The text reflects European prejudices, and here mocks the ‘feigned holiness’ and ‘blatant hypocrisy’ of the cadilesker, a chief judge in the Ottoman Empire.

France, Lyon
Ink on paper; hand-coloured engravings
Les quatre premiers livres des navigations et pérégrinations orientales; 1567–8, second issue of first edition
Printed and published by Guillaume Rouillé
Museum no. 310-1884, p. 110 and opposite
(2018)
Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, V&A:<br>
TURKISH FOOTMAN, IN 'TRAVELS AND VOYAGES IN TURKEY'<br>
1567–8<br>
Nicolas de Nicolay (1517–83)<br>
<br>
Although they reflected European prejudices of the time, Nicolay's influential books were among the first to provide first-hand images of Turkish people and their customs. He based the books on observations and sketches he made while accompanying a French delegation to Istanbul in 1551. The text describes how Turkish footmen could run as fast as the best horses and carried news swiftly across the Ottoman Empire. Bells on their clothes warned people of their impending arrival.<br>
<br>
France, Lyon<br>
Ink on paper; hand-coloured engravings<br>
Les quatre premiers livres des navigations et pérégrinations orientales; 1567–8, second issue of first edition<br>
Printed and published by Guillaume Rouillé<br>
Museum no. 310-1884, p. 98 and opposite
Object history
Collection of François-Michel-César Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtanvaux (1718-1781): stamp inscribed 'LE MIS DE COURTANVAUX' with arms of the Marquis de Courtanvaux (f. *2 recto and p. 180). The book does not seem to feature in the Catalogue des livres de la bibliotheque de feu François-César Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtanvaux... (Paris, 1782). Accessioned by the Museum on 13 May 1884.
Bibliographic reference
Link to fully digitised copy in the BnF which misses the Title-page, dedication, table of contents and preface:
Other numbers
  • 38041800790396 - NAL barcode
  • 88.A.21 - NAL Pressmark
Collection
National Art Library
Library number
310-1884

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Record createdOctober 30, 2018
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1463611/les-quatre-premiers-livres-des-book-nicolas-de-nicolay/
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