Vespasien

1555 · 21267 — Venice 1555. 18th-century gold-tooled vellum with the title lettered in gold on the spine and the manuscript title and year of publication in brown ink on the front board. Oblong 4to. With a woodcut of two hands one holding a compass and the other holding a pen 6 charming woodcut initials in text and 85 engraved models of calligraphic text and initials all set within black-lined borders. Rare edition of a famous Italian writing book by Vespasiano Amphiareo Ferrara 1501-Venice 1563 first published as "Un novo modo d'insegnar a scrivere" at Venice in 1548. A new enlarged edition followed in 1554 in two issues after which our edition followed and sixteen more before 1620. Amphiareo belonged to the noble family Albertaccia and had been to all probability a pupil of the famous Tagliente and later he was a writing-master at Venice for some thirty years. He dedicated his writing book to the Doge Francesco Donà. We see for the first time in an Italian writing book a majuscule alphabet based on botanical motives another on trunks of trees heavy gothic letters embodying putti and masks and black strapwork letters obviously linked to contemporary writing books in Germany and Switzerland. The book ends with a section on teaching the cutting of the quill and how to make a clear black ink partly based on Arrighi's instructions. To the second edition Amphiareo added further sections on illuminating in azure and gold and in vermilion in his later editions. The real significance of the writing book is that Amphiareo was dissatisfied with both the chancery and mercatile hands of his time. He therefore devised a mixture of the two styles "like a mystic body" in the Friar's Bastard as he called it which would suit both purposes. He wanted this "invention"' to be generally known and thus "with incredible personal expense" he had his book engraved and printed. After the famous writing masters Tagliente Arrighi and Palatino Amphiareo represented both their tradition and the transition to the revolutionary writing master Cresci of the second half of the 16th century.The title page is slightly browned slight marginal foxing throughout. Otherwise in very good condition.l Casamassima Trattati di Scrittura 1966 p. 90 no. XII and plates XLV-XLVIII first ed.; EDIT 16 CNCE 61646 1 copy; Johnson A.F. A catalogue of Italian writing books of the 16th century in: Signature N.S. 10 1950 p. 36; Medri G. Le opera calligrafiche a stampa II Vesp. Amphiareo da Ferrara in: All' insegna del libro I 1928 pp. 57-58; cf. Becker D.P. The practice of letters 1997 no. 19; Bonacini 49. hardcover