L’Arte del Cavallo di Nicola e Luigi Santapaulina divisa in Tre Libri

Folio volume with cardboard covers, title in pencil on the front, and reinforced binding. A fine frontispiece depicts Nicola Santapaulina with a noble coat of arms, accompanied by decorative initials and end-of-chapter ornaments. Before the first book, there is an elaborate engraving showing a horse among mythological figures, including a woman, a lion, and a reclining man near an urn pouring water; at the top, putti hold a coat of arms recalling the Medici family. The engraving was executed by Joseph Juster after a design by Louis Dorigny.

The second book contains illustrative figures showing geometrical exercises for the horse. The volume is complete with all three books and in more than good condition, with only occasional small spots of humidity. The first two books focus on horse training, while the third (by Luigi Santapaulina) addresses the use of the horse in war and ceremonial events. A rare and important treatise.