Batta garzena gio (1 risultati)

Unusual surviving Italian manuscript on fireworks, a how-to, essentially. The text starts out with the words: Capitolo Primo, but there are no other chapters designated. While it is possible the author did write other chapters, this relatively brief exegesis on the topic seems complete and/or self-contained, and there are designated sections which the author could have assigned chapter numbers but simply didn't bother. 12mo. 14 by 9.5 cm. Unpaginated, five folded leaves, or 20 pages, including title, 15 pages with text. Pen-and-ink decoration, with the front and rear cover so ornamented with no text or words, and eleven small illustrations within, none full page, and other than title page flourish, all meant to be illustrative in some aspect of the topic, whether the unfired firework rocket (the stick) or the display -- and even the title page decoration may fit into the latter. The manuscript brochure covers ingredients and their proportion (recipes for fireworks), how to achieve various effects such as a star, the Roman candle, Chinese fire (Fuoco Cinese) or spinning circles, how to roll up the rockets, and illustrating their anatomy, so to speak. The artwork qualifies as rather fetching Folk Art, in our view. Obviously the vignettes aren't professionally dilineated, but they convey the author's point and have a visual appeal that is arresting, particularly on the front and rear cover. We do not know anything about the author other than his name and where he came from. We don't believe this piece was published, but we can't definitively say it wasn't, say, in a periodical. Condition: Edges are somewhat roughened. Corner chips, tears, paper loss also by spine folds. Foxing and stained. However, no loss of content, and issues don't negate the aesthetic or documentary value of the brochure. String. Outside leaf of same paper stock as other leaves, and doesn't qualify as a binding really. Outer modern sleeve, with four folds to hold manuscript inside. Sleeve is of a light card stock.…