Lot Essay
Godefroy Englemann (1788-1839), by whom the lithographs were done, despite being of German birth, published mainly in France. He was responsible for founding 'La Société Lithotypique de Mulhouse' and was instrumental in introducing lithography to France. Englemann's dates however, and the fact that the maps are lithographs, suggest conflict with the date of AH 1170 that is given at the end of the text section of the manuscript. This must suggest that either the maps or the date of the manuscript were added later.
Whereas this manuscript's previous cataloguing suggested that the maps depicted the battles between the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians, the maps are mostly of Germany where the Ottomans never fought. In addition, the maps do not give the names of any Generals, suggesting rather that they came from a training manual or a book of military theory and were inserted into this Ottoman manuscript as a training tool.
Whereas this manuscript's previous cataloguing suggested that the maps depicted the battles between the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians, the maps are mostly of Germany where the Ottomans never fought. In addition, the maps do not give the names of any Generals, suggesting rather that they came from a training manual or a book of military theory and were inserted into this Ottoman manuscript as a training tool.