Describes the Turkish harem, detailing the social and historic traditions of the sultans and the women they kept
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0865659966I4N00
Seller: Heights Catalogues, Books, Comics, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. HEIN004014 Secrets of the Harem, Carla Coco, Vendome Press, 1997, HC, ISBN 0 86565 996 6. Seller Inventory # HEIN004014
Seller: B-Line Books, Amherst, NS, Canada
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. Stiff unmarked book in brown cloth with touch of shelfwear; front hinge slightly cracked at top; in bright dust jacket with touch of corner wear. ; 11.9 X 9.5 X 1.0 inches; 191 pages. Seller Inventory # 60713
Seller: My Dead Aunt's Books, Hyattsville, MD, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Unclipped. First English translation from Italian, by Francesca White, 1997;191 p., clean and unmarked anywhere on strong glossy paper; lavishly illustrated; binding tight; slight edge wear to fine unfaded boards and glossy pictorial d.j. 9-1/2" x 12.". Seller Inventory # 148290
Seller: Chris Fessler, Bookseller, Howell, MI, U.S.A.
brown hardcover ~ 2º (folio ~ 9.5"x12"). large "coffee table" book, international or priority shipping will cost extra. dustwrapper in protective plastic book jacket cover. ink marked copy in good cond. binding square & tight. covers clean. minor rubbing at spine bottom. edges clean. 2 pages with ink marking (pages 10 & 11, couple of lines underlined & margin note), rest of contents free of markings. dustwrapper in fine cond. not worn or torn or price clipped (no price listed). nice vintage copy. book looks brand new. no library markings, store stamps, stickers, bookplates, no names, no remainder markings. first edition. first printing (Pu1997 & nap). 191p. glossy pages throughout. every page illustrated in full glossy color. many full page & double page plates. bibliography. glossary. art history. art books. ottoman empire. middle east history. history of turkey. islamic art. ~ The harem, a mystical place of pleasure, is one of the most enticing institutions of Islamic culture, perceived to represent family and sexual traditions far different from those of the Western world. Turkish harems, in particular, have remained largely secret despite the interest of European travellers. This is not surprising since they could only be visited by close family members, all~powerful eunuchs, and the ruler of the house, all other men were barred entry. In consequence, much of what we know about harems is second~hand, or the result of a vivid imagination. The very word 'harem' designates a closed, reserved place, that part of the Ottoman living quarters set apart for women, a place containing the most luxurious and elaborate rooms in the house. It is traditionally the seductive, intimate heart of every home or palace. This beautiful, all~color book describes the Turkish harem in a comprehensive manner, bringing it to life with sensual, evocative illustrations and well~documented text. There is a detailed and fascinating description of the Topkapi in Istanbul, the palace of the court of the Turkish sultans, of its rooms of state, its kitchens, its elegant gardens and pavilions, the hospital and the school for princes of the blood, and, of course, the intrigue~filled Harem. Here, odalisques and sultanas~controlled by feared eunuchs~spent their lives lounging in various degrees of undress, bathing, being massaged and coiffed, gossiping endlessly in the hamman, being entertained by acrobats, musicians, and dancers, and partaking of dishes of extraordinary refinement cooked with ingredients brought from all parts of a vast empire. Ever present in this sybaritic atmosphere, however, were the lurking ambitions of women eager to advance their positions as well as those of their sons~by becoming the Sultan's favorite through their carefully honed powers of seduction. For the winners, there was an eventual place as the valide sultana, or Queen Mother, whose son had gained power in good part due to a mother's cunning. For the losers, there was banishment from the Topkapi and for their male offspring either strangulation with a silk cord, or life imprisonment within the confines of the palace. The author describes the reigns and idiosyncracies of the Sultans and their favorites and brilliantly traces the decline of a once mighty empire grown soft from the corruption of absolute power, the influence of Europe, and above all, the usurpation of control by the very women who were supposed to live in complete subjugation to their lords and masters. Illustrated by documents of the period, old and new photographs, and masterpieces by Renoir, Delacroix, Matisse, and Ingres among others, this revelation of a lost way of life will enchant anybody whose imagination has been inflamed by tales of a thousand and one nights. Seller Inventory # 8112401
Seller: Ultramarine Books, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. New York: The Vendome Press, 1997. 191 pages; color illustrated throughout. The author has written about Istanbul, Turkey and the Turkish community in Venice and the Venetian community in Constantinople. This is a comprehensive description of the Turkish harem with documented text illustrated with photographs and artwork. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. 4to. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 002680
Seller: THE CROSS Art + Books, Sydney, NSW, Australia
31.0 x 24.0cms 192pp colour illusts very good+ hardback & dustwrapper This book describes the Turkish harem the Topkapi palace and the Ottoman court. The chapters are: women of the Ottoman Empire; slaves odalisques & sultanas; the house of felicity; the empire of the women. Seller Inventory # 20222208
Seller: nika-books, art & crafts GbR, Nordwestuckermark-Fürstenwerder, NWUM, Germany
31 cm , gebundene Ausgabe. 191 S. Kleinere Gebrauchsspuren im Schutzumschlag, ein kleiner Fleck im Vorsatzblatt. Sonst sehr guter Zustand. - Minor wear on dustjacket, front flyleaf with a small stain. Otherwise in very good condition. 0865659966 Sprache: Deutsch Gewicht in Gramm: 1680. Seller Inventory # 16369