The Sultans' choice: Brunette, Satinette, Bluette and Silverette examples of Oriental Frills pigeons, all with feathery neck frills, originally bred for the sultans in the Ottoman palace at Manisa, Western Turkey. High resolution scan of original chromolithograph page in the rare 'Illustrated Book of Pigeons with Standards for Judging' by Robert Fulton (also known as 'Cassell's Pigeon Book'), reproduced from a painting by British ornithological artist, Joseph Williamson Ludlow (1840-1916).
Birds once prized by the Ottoman Sultans ... variations of the Oriental Frills (Turkish: Hünkari) breed of fancy ornamental exhibition pigeons selectively bred over many years for the Sultans who ruled from their palace in the city of Manisa (ancient Magnesia) in Western Turkey. The four Oriental Frills birds shown in this late-19th century book illustration - Brunette, Satinette, Bluette and Silverette - vary in colouration and markings; for example, the Satinette has laced wing shields and the Bluette displays tri-coloured wing bars. However, they all have similar feathery neck frills stretching down their chests. This avian quartet, depicted inside a coop or loft, was one of the 50 colour chromolithograph plates illustrating a rare late-19th century volume, 'The Illustrated Book of Pigeons with Standards for Judging', also known as 'Cassell's Pigeon Book', written by Robert Fulton and edited by Lewis Wright. All 50 plates were reproduced from original artworks painted by British ornithological artist, Joseph Williamson Ludlow (1840-1916). Ludlow specialised in portraying domestic birds and he illustrated several other books on poultry and pigeons in the natural history series produced by publishers Cassell, Petter and Galpin. The Illustrated Book of Pigeons was first published in 1876. Over nearly 400 pages, it offered pigeon fanciers a comprehensive guide to breeding and raising fancy and ornamental pigeons in a convenient and relatively compact form. It ran through several editions and is still regarded as a useful reference work. However, complete examples in good condition with all their pages intact are now very rare.
Size: 7860px × 9865px
Location: 'The Illustrated Book of Pigeons' by Robert Fulton, illustrated by Joseph Williamson Ludlow (1876)
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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