Cornazzano, De re militari, Florence, Giunta, 1520, contemporary black morocco gilt

CORNAZZANO, ANTONIO. Cornazano De re militari. Nuovamente con somma diligentia impresso. Florence: heirs of Filippo Giunta, 25 May 1520

A poem in terza rime on military matters, the text amended to make it more comprehensible to Tuscans (Cornazzano was Lombard). An uncommon edition, in a binding bearing similarities to others executed by Milanese binders for Jean Grolier during his second stay in Milan (1515 and 1521).

8vo (151 x 90 mm). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. Collation: a-z⁸: 184 leaves. Woodcut border on title-page and woodcut device on final verso. (Stamp on title-page effaces, some foxing and dampstaining, worming to inner margin.)

Binding: Contemporary black morocco (156 x 98 mm), richly gilt with border of heart-like gilt tools, gilt flourish to each corner, gilt fillet with gilt sun cornerpieces, other gilt rays and floral devices, all gilt, framing central circular garland of small floral tools enclosing author's name ("CORNA / ZANO"), spine with raised bands in five compartments, each with gilt device of flowers and rays, traces of two pairs of ties, edges gilt and gauffered to a knotwork pattern. (Chips to head and tail of spine, restoration to joints.)

Provenance: Philobiblon Auctions, Rome, 22 June 2016, lot 192. Acquisition: Purchased from Mayfair Rare Books (Paolo Rambaldi), London, 2018. References: Edit16 13325; Pettas, Giunti of Florence 148; Renouard XLV/32