Habit of a Turkish Lady in 1568

by Thomas Jefferys

A stunning piece of work produced in the eighteenth century by the famous English geographer and publisher, Thomas Jefferys, the engraving is an insight into the fashion trends during the period of the Ottoman Empire. Published between 1757 and 1772 in London, it was part of the great multi-volume publication A Collection of the Dresses of Different Nations, Antient and Modern.

This copper engraving portrays a lady from the Turkish aristocracy, which, in French, is called a "Dame de condition Turque, dans le serail." It captures a style from the year 1568 and has its origin in the travel writings of the French geographer of the king Nicolas de Nicolay, who described Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's court.

This book served the curiosity of the Georgian era toward "Orientalism" and foreign civilizations.