Florida Indians, Man and Woman in Traditional Dress – Mallet America Engraving, 1683
This vivid late 17th-century engraving depicts a Florida man and woman shown in traditional attire, presented as “Ples de la Floride,” and forms part of Alain Manesson Mallet’s influential geographical encyclopedia *Description de l’Univers*. The figures are portrayed standing in a lightly sketched landscape, the man holding a bow with a quiver of arrows over his shoulder, while the woman is shown adorned with jewelry and draped garments. Their poses and interaction convey both ethnographic intent and the European curiosity toward the peoples of the New World.
The image belongs to Mallet’s extensive section on America, in which he sought to illustrate the appearance, customs, and dress of Indigenous populations as understood by European scholars of the time. While filtered through 17th-century European conventions, such plates are among the earliest widely circulated visual representations of Native peoples from Florida and the southeastern regions of North America. The hand coloring, applied shortly after publication, enhances the decorative appeal and reflects the period taste for richly colored costume plates.
*Description de l’Univers* was first published in Paris in 1683 and quickly became one of the most important and popular geographical works of the late 17th century, reissued in multiple editions and languages. Mallet, a military engineer and mathematician in the service of Louis XIV, combined cartography, astronomy, and ethnography in a single ambitious project. Plates like this one are highly sought after by collectors of early Americana, ethnographic imagery, and French baroque engravings.
Condition: Good condition for a 17th-century hand-colored engraving. General age toning to the paper, with scattered light foxing and minor surface marks. Margins show some wear and soft handling, including small edge nicks. The image and original hand coloring remain clear and well preserved.
Framing tips: This print works particularly well with a wide, neutral mat to highlight the hand coloring and the early paper tone. A simple dark wood or ebonized frame will complement the historical character without distracting from the image.
Technique: Copper engraving, hand colored Maker: Alain Manesson Mallet, French, Paris, 1683
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