RARE VENICE EDITION OF A SMALL WORK ABOUT GAMES AND CURIOSA

Castelli, Antonio. La selva incantata di Antonio Castelli veneziano dove insegna il modo facile d'imparare diversi bei giuochi di bussolotti, di carte, di segreti, ed altre bellissime invenzioni. In Venezia: per Omo Bono, w.y. [1750-1800].

12mo (138x80 mm), 12 pages recently re-bound with decorated old paper covers; title-page in a xyl. decorated frame, with an engraved vignette; a xyl. head-piece before the text.

Rare collection of card games, hand, eggs, coins, rings, and other rule and memory games (see: Lucia Nadin Bassani “Carte da gioco e letteratura tra Quattrocento e Ottocento” – 1997)

Omo Bono (or Omobon, or Homobon, or Omobuono): Venetian printer named Omobono Bettanini (or Bettanin, or Bettanino) with his workshop sul Ponte di Rialto.

Antonio Castelli (about 1730-1800) was a Venetian infantry officer, servicing for the Republic of Venice; he was also a passionate writer.

Provenance: Presence of ownership inscriptions, handwritten at title-page.

References: Edition not in ICCU, which registers the edition issued in Treviso, by Antonio Paluello in 1789 (IT\ICCU\VEAE\126139). Edition not in OCLC, which registers another edition of a later work with title: La Selva incantata: ossia nuova maniera di apprendere una quantità di bellissimi giuochi di carte, di mano, di ova, di monete, d'anelli, ed altri di regola, e di memoria. In Venezia: nella stamperia Cordella, [ca. 1800] (890804798 - 1 copy in Switzerland).

Traces of use, brownings, horizontal folds in the middle of the leaves, partially cut and repaired. Overall, a fair copy.

THIS COPY CAN BE SOLD ONLY IN ITALY