Lot N. 233
EQUILIBRIUM – Il Dilettante de' Cavalli (ANONIMO)
Il Dilettante de’ Cavalli (published under the title Saggio sopra le Razze), in which the breeds of mares, stallions, and foals are treated, along with their qualities and beauty, as well as methods for feeding, raising, castrating, shoeing, and harnessing them; including information on stables, diseases, and an examination of the tricks used by horse dealers.
Venice, Presso il Martini, 1795.
Description:
Duodecimo (approx. 17 × 11 cm). Contemporary half-leather binding with marbled “snail-pattern” boards in red and ochre tones. The title page is framed with a decorative typographical border and enriched with a fine woodcut vignette depicting horses in a rural landscape.
About the work:
A rare late-18th-century Venetian edition of this celebrated treatise on equine science and veterinary practice, based on the 1780 Turin edition. The text is a comprehensive compendium of contemporary equestrian knowledge, covering not only breeding and care of diseases but also practical aspects such as shoeing and protection against fraud by horse dealers (“furberie de’ Sensali”). The work mentions “copper engravings” accompanying the text.
Condition:
Genuine copy. The binding shows signs of age with minor losses to the spine caps but remains solid. Interiors are well preserved on heavy period paper; typical light foxing and browning do not detract from the beauty of the decorative apparatus.
Il dilettante dei cavalli