Horse riding in Italy, illustrated

Alessandro, Giuseppe d', duca di Pescolanciano. Pietra paragone de' cavalieri, [...] divisa in cinque libri.

Naples, Domenico-Antonio Parrino, 1711.

Folio (332 x 218 mm). With engraved frontispiece, portrait of the author, and 140 engravings, all but one full-page. Contemporary full vellum with manuscript lettering to spine.

 25,000.00

First edition of this rare Italian riding school, covering all aspects of horse breeding, training and care, lavishly illustrated with 140 engravings. A second, enlarged edition, also apparently rare, was published in 1723 under the title "Opera". The work is divided into five parts: the first, "Regole di cavalcare" with one plate; the second, "[...] ove si tratta del difficilissimo mestiere dell' imbrigliare"; the third, "[...] dell' istesso", with 95 illustrations of bits, etc.; the fourth, "Disegni de' circoli" with 10 diagrams and "Ritratti d'uomini illustri" with 27 portraits, about half of which show mounted figures; the fifth, "[...] intorno alla preservativa, conservatione, e medicina per cavalli" with 7 plates, also including other animals (such as a rhinoceros).

Errata leaf at beginning, some leaves browned or spotted. No copy in auction records of the last decades.

References

Huth p. 28. Brunet I, 159. Graesse I, 68.

Stock Code: BN#32179 Tags: ,