Lot N. 236
GELLI, Jacopo. Codice Cavalleresco Italiano & Manuale del Duellante.
Milan, Ulrico Hoepli Editore, 1896. Two 16mo volumes (the typical pocket format of the Hoepli Manuals). Publisher’s original full red cloth bindings, with gilt titles on the covers and spines. The copies are housed in the rare original rigid publisher’s slipcase, cloth-covered in green.
Codice Cavalleresco Italiano: Eighth edition. A work awarded a gold medal (1892) and a diploma of honor (1894).
Manuale del Duellante: Second edition. The work is illustrated with 27 plates within the text.
Importance of the work:
Jacopo Gelli (1858–1935) was Italy’s foremost expert on fencing and matters of honor. The Codice Cavalleresco served for decades as the normative reference text for settling disputes among gentlemen, while the Manuale del Duellante functioned as a technical and legal guide to physical combat, which at the time was still practiced despite legal prohibitions.
Bibliographical details:
Publisher: Ulrico Hoepli, Publisher and Bookseller to the Royal House.
Year: 1896.
Illustrations: The Manuale del Duellante includes 27 illustrated plates.
Condition:
Excellent state of preservation. The red publisher’s cloth is bright, and the gilt stamping is clear and well preserved. The original slipcase, a very rare surviving element, shows slight signs of use but is structurally sound. The interiors are fresh.