The title-page of the 1826 sale of Mrs. Bliss's Bibliotheca Splendidissima notes that a substantial portion of her library was taken up by Oriental manuscripts
An extensive, rare and valuable Collection of Original | Persian, Chinese, Turkish, Hindostan, and other Drawings, | exquisitely finished, representing the Manners, Amuse- | ments, Customs, Dress, Trades, Architecture, Manufactures | and Costumes of the Eastern Nations.
Indeed, material from the Middle East and Asia, including books, manuscripts and even paintings, in languages such as Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Turkish, made up some fifty-three lots, or 6.5 % of the entire sale. (Western manuscripts totalled 5.4 % of the lots for sale.)
lot
481 PERSIAN MS. a Biographical Dictionary of the Lives of eminent Persian Characters, with 72 original Drawings, calf extra, gilt leaves
[sold for £5.0.0]
ORIGINAL PERSIAN, CHINESE, TURKISH, HIN
DOSTAN, AND OTHER DRAWINGS.
482 COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE PERSIANS, 53 highly finished original Drawings, representing the Manners and Customs of the Persians, with rich Borders, splendidly bound in blue morocco, joints, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £35.14.0]
483 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 39 original Drawings, richly coloured, to illustrate the Months of the Year, signs of the Zodiac, Amusements, &c. of the Hindoos, with MS. Descriptions in English, mounted, guarded, and bound in green morocco, joints, gold borders, and gilt leaves, by Welcher
[sold for £9.9.0]
484 CHINESE DRAWINGS, 134 exquisite original Drawings, illustrating the Trades, Costumes and Manners of the Chinese, by Artists of that Nation, mounted, guarded, and bound in red morocco, broad gold border, gilt leaves, by Staggemeier
[sold for £19.19.0]
485 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a Collection of 96 original Drawings, exemplifying the Method of Manufacturing Porcelain, Charcoal, &c. by the Chinese, guarded, and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves
[sold for £12.7.6]
486 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a Collection of 71 original Drawings, exemplifying the Method of Manufacturing Silk, by the Chinese, guarded and bound in blue morocco, uniform with the preceding
[sold for £19.9.6]
487 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a Collection of 61 beautiful original Drawings, to illustrate the Costume, Manners and Amusements of the Chinese, mounted, splendidly bound in red morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Staggemeier
[sold for £18.19.6]
488 COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE PERSIANS, represented in 33 original exquisite Drawings, beautifully coloured, with borders and sprinkled with gold, guarded and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £14.3.6]
489 COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE HINDOOS, a collection of 30 original Drawings, to illustrate the Costume and Manners of the Hindoos, highly coloured, with descriptions on the back of each, guarded and bound in blue morocco, joints, by Lewis
[sold for £11.11.0]
...
491 RELIGION, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS OF THE HINDOOS a collection of 52 original Drawings to illustrate the Religion, Customs, and Manners of the Hindoos, exquisitely coloured, mounted and bound in green morocco, broad gold borders, joints, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis
[sold for £12.12.0]
...
493 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 30 original Drawings, exhibiting a great variety of Attitudes, Feats of Activity, Strength, Tumbling, &c. which are performed by sets of Mendicant People in India, with descriptions, half bound
[sold for £5.5.0]
494 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a collection of 50 richly coloured Drawings, illustrating the Mythology of the Chinese, mounted and bound in green morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis
[sold for £15.4.6]
495 HINDOO DRAWINGS, a collection of 49 exquisite highly coloured original Drawings, illustrating the Manners, Costumes, and Trades of the Hindoos, guarded and splendidly bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves
[sold for £12.12.0]
496 Chinese Fish, 34 Drawings of the Fishes of China, coloured, calf extra, marble leaves
[sold for £4.0.0]
...
498 Lives of the Brahmins, exhibited in 33 original Drawings, (the Ceremonies from the Birth of a Brahmin, and terminating with that of a Brahmin Woman burning herself upon the funeral pile of her Husband,) with MS. descriptions, neatly bound
[sold for £9.9.0]
499 COSTUME OF INDIA, illustrated in 17 exquisite original Drawings of the Costumes, Manners, &c. of India, mounted, and superbly bound in red morocco, broad gold border, gilt leaves
[sold for £7.7.0]
500 ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA, 12 beautiful large original Drawings, representing the Palaces and Public Buildings of India, with a fine Portrait of Assoph Ul Dowlah, painted for Captain Edwards, his Aid-de-Camp, and 3 Drawings of Natural History at the end, half bound, morocco, atlas folio
[sold for £5.10.0]
501 HINDOO IDOLS, a collection of 45 original Drawings, exhibiting Views of all the Idols or Swammies, which are in the Pagoda on the Rock in the Fort of Tritchinopoly
[sold for £14.0.0]
502 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 27 most exquisitely finished original Drawings, with borders, of Nabobs with their Officers of State, Hindoo Women, and Amusements, neatly bound
[sold for £5.13.6]
503 HINDOO EMPERORS, RAJAHS, &c. a collection of 39 beautiful Drawings of Emperors and Chiefs, including Timur, Nadur Shah, Surajah Dowlah, Tippo Saib, Mahomed Shah, Shah Allum, Cassim Ali, Cawn, &c. &c. with borders, very fine
[sold for £4.15.0]
504 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 12 fine original exquisitely coloured Drawings of Nabobs, Viziers, Warriors, &c. &c.
[sold for £2.4.0]
505 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 8 ditto, very fine, Hunting, Horsemanship, Wild Sports of the East, &c. &c.
[sold for £1.18.0]
506 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 3 ditto, Mahomet carried into Paradise, six Mahometan Saints, and Hindoo Idols, very fine
[sold for £1.5.0]
...
508 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF BIRDS, a collection of upwards of 200 beautiful coloured original Drawings, illustrating the Ornithology of the Orientals, mounted and superbly bound, in 2 vols, red morocco, joints, gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £42.0.0]
509 INDIAN AND CHINESE DRAWINGS, 83 magnificent original Drawings, representing the Dresses, Habits, Trades, Manufactures and Amusements of India and China, mounted, and bound in russia, joints, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Staggemeier
[sold for £15.0.0]
510 ORIENTAL DRAWINGS, 29 beautiful original Drawings, representing the Manners of the East, in a folio volume, half bound, morocco
[sold for £5.15.6]
511 COSTUMES OF THE PERSIANS, a collection of 59 original Drawings, illustrating the Costume, Manners, and Amusements of the Persians, most exquisitely coloured, with borders, and sprinkled with gold, bound in green morocco, elegant, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £18.18.0]
512 CHINESE DRAWINGS, 15 highly coloured original Drawings, representing the Heathen Mythology of the Chinese, very curious, half bound, russia
[sold for £6.6.0]
513 HINDOO DRAWINGS, a collection of 23 original Drawings, beautifully executed on cards, illustrating the Trades, &c. of the Hindoos, in a red morocco case
[not sold?]
...
515 HINDOO DRAWINGS, a collection of 25 original Drawings, to illustrate the Costume and Manners of the Hindoos, most exquisitely coloured, guarded, and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £10.10.0]
516 HINDOO TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS, 43 original highly finished Drawings, with borders and descriptions, to illustrate the Trades, Occupations, Costumes, &c. of the Hindoos, guarded, and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £11.11.0]
517 HINDOO TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS — containing 42 beautiful Drawings, uniform with the preceding, by Lewis
[sold for £11.0.0]
518 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a collection of 103 original Drawings, illustrating the Heathen Mythology of the Chinese, most beautifully coloured, inlaid, and bound in red morocco, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
[sold for £29.0.0]
...
520 Chinese Drawings, a collection of 46, representing the Customs, Habits, &c. of China, Mounted and bound in russia, joints by Benedict
[sold for £3.15.0]
...
522 HINDOO DRAWINGS, an assemblage of 70 exquisitely finished original Drawings of Emperors and Kings of Hindostan, various Costumes, Habits, Manners, &c. of the East, neatly bound
[sold for £7.10.0]
523 VUES DES MONUMENS DE CANTON, 110 original Chinese Drawings, Views in Canton mounted and half bound, in yellow morocco, joints, gold borders, gilt leaves
(From the Townley Collection.)
[sold for £8.15.0]
524 HINDOO DRAWINGS, a volume containing 26 miscellaneous beautifully coloured Drawings of Portraits, Costumes, &c.
[sold for £3.15.0]
525 DITTO, ditto, 12 various
[sold for £1.6.0]
526 DITTO, 24 ditto
[sold for £2.19.0]
527 DITTO, 24 ditto
[sold for £3.7.6]
528 CHINESE DRAWINGS, a collection of 32 original highly coloured Drawings, representing the Arts, Trades, Manufactures, Agriculture, &c. of China, half bound
[sold for £4.4.0]
529 DITTO, 27 ditto, Flowers, Trades, Costumes, &c.
[sold for £3.15]
530 Oriental Drawings, 47 Drawings exhibiting the Punishments, Religious Ceremonies, Superstitions, &c. of the East
[sold for £1.11.6]
...
533 Turkish Costume, 18 Drawings of coloured Costumes and 13 coloured Prints, ditto, calf gilt
[sold for £1.11.6]
...
535 CHINESE DRAWINGS, 10 beautiful original Chinese Drawings, Mandarins, and Ladies of Quality, exquisitely coloured, and mounted
[sold for £2.0.0]
536 DITTO, 26 ditto, representing the Trades and Manufactures of the Chinese, beautifully coloured
[sold for £4.4.0]
537 DITTO, 34 ditto, exhibiting the Trials, various modes Punishments, &c. of the Chinese
[sold for £5.10.0]
538 DITTO, 7 ditto, Military Officers, Mandarins, &c., very fine
[sold for £1.10.0]
539 HINDOO DRAWINGS, 8 original Drawings, representing the Costumes of the Hindoos, &c.
[sold for £1.0.0]
540 DITTO, 3 very large Drawings of Emperors, &c.
[sold for £3.10.0]
541 DITTO, 3 ditto, Processions and Costumes
[sold for £2.16.0]
542 DITT, 2 ditto, Hindoo Deities
[sold for £1.8.0 ]
543 Nineteen Chinese and Hindoo Drawings of Architecture, in a portfolio
[sold for £1.1.0]
544 Two Drawings, Turkish Costume, Wrestling, and Female Dancing
[sold for 7/-]
If, as I suggest, William Blake knew Mrs. Bliss and had some acquaintanceship with her book collection, then he would have had access to one of the most remarkable Oriental collections of his time with profound implications for his art.
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