Hand-colored Carte-de-visite of a Zouave soldier in quarter plate case. Original photograph.
Circa 1860-1870. Cartes-de-visite 4x2⅜" of soldier posing against a column prop, appearing to be in a Zouave uniform which has been completely hand colored, along with the photograph prop and background. Enclosed in a brass mat and preserver, inserted into half of a Quarter plate 4¼x3¼" case embossed with a delicate grape cluster motif....
During the Civil War, numerous Zouave regiments were organized from soldiers of the United States of America who adopted the name and the North African–inspired uniforms during the American Civil War. The Union army had more than seventy volunteer Zouave regiments throughout the conflict, while the Confederates fielded about twenty-five Zouave companies....
The Zouave uniform was sometimes quite elaborate, to the extent of being unwieldy. Some Zouave regiments wore a tight fitting short jacket (some without buttons), baggy pantaloons or "chasseur" trousers, white leggings, and a short leather cuff for the calf, called jambieres. The sash was especially difficult to put on, often requiring the help of another zouave. The zouave uniform was better suited for warm climates and rough terrain. The loose pantaloons allowed for greater freedom of movement than trousers, while the short jacket was much cooler than the long woolen blouse worn by most armies of the time. One of the reasons for the smaller number of zouave units in the U.S. and Europe was the expense of the specialized uniform over that of mass-produced uniforms of a single color and cut. Item #51-4296
Price: $150.00