Bassi, Dispareri in materia d'architettura, Brescia, 1572, calf, Thomas Knyvett-Macclesfield copy

Bassi, Martino. Dispareri in materia d'architettura, et perspettiva. Con pareri di eccellenti, et famosi architetti, che li risolvono. Venice: [Vincenzo da Sabbio for] Francesco and Pietro Maria Marchetti, 1572

First edition of Bassi's treatise detailing objections to the changes to the Duomo of Milan proposed by Pellegrino Pellegrini.

Renouard mentions the use of the dolphin and anchor device by the Marchetti brothers (p.416); here the device is facing right, whereas the original Aldine version always faced left.

4to (205 x 152 mm). Roman and italic type, 38 lines. collation: A-G⁴: 28 leaves (last leaf blank), 12 engraved plates. Woodcut dolphin and anchor device on title-page and final verso, first word of title within woodcut cartouche, woodcut initials.

binding: Contemporary (English?) calf with small gilt centerpiece and corner fleurons (213 x 158 mm), spine gilt in compartments, stubs from two pairs of silk ties. (Binding somewhat rubbed.)

provenance: Sir Thomas Knyvett of Ashwellthorpe (1539-1618), inscription on title-page, and his grandson's inscription with Italian motto (D. McKitterick, The Library of Sir Thomas Knyvett, no. 914), and ink shelfmark "5. Class. Aust.—15" at end (probably dating from shortly after Knyvett's death) — Earls of Macclesfield, bookplate dated 1860 and blindstamp on title-page, sale of the library of the Earls of Macclesfield removed from Shirburn Castle: Part 2, Science A-C, Replica Shoes 's, 10 June 2004, lot 313. acquisition: Purchased from Erasmushaus, Basel, 2022. references: BAL RIBA 219; Edit16 4601; Mortimer, Harvard Italian 46