Pietro Mancuso - Li precipizj del senzo - 1721

A rare and fascinating 18th-century Sicilian edition printed in Palermo in 1721 by the famous Antonino Epiro Press. The volume gathers the posthumous work of Pietro Mancuso (described in the text as a "spiritoso, e naturale Poeta"), containing the Baroque moral tragedy centered on the famous myth of Semiramis ("Semiramide, ultima delle sue Tragedie"). The work ends with the famous moral passage that gives the title to the frontispiece: "...ci mostraro gli orrendi PRECIPIZJ del SENSO". An œuvre of notable interest for collectors of Baroque theatre, Sicilian local history (Siciliana) and Southern typography of the eighteenth century. Bibliographic Details: * Author: Pietro Mancuso (D. D. Pietro Mancuso) * Title: Li Precipizj del Senzo. Azione Tragicomica dedicata al Signor D. Vincenzo Rao Torres. * Publication: In Palermo, Nella Stamperia d'Antonino Epiro, 1721 (Con licenza de' Superiori). * Format: In-12° (small pocket format typical of the era). 14 x 9 cm. * Pagination: Complete. Contains the frontispiece, the initial dedication, the introduction and the text up to the final page (Il Fine). (8) + 176 pages. Historical Merits and Decorative Apparatus: The volume stands out for some typographic elements of exquisite Baroque craftsmanship: * A delicious woodcut initial capital letter animated at the beginning of the dedication ("Mio Signore"). * Two elegant woodcut tailpieces with floral motifs, ornaments and typographic friezes that decorate a crucial passage of the text and the conclusion of the work. * Presence of ancient possession notes handwritten in period ink on the lower margin of the frontispiece (partially erased) and under the words Il Fine on the last page, testifying to the history and lived experience of the volume through the centuries. Condition: * Interior: In good overall condition. The body of the text is sound, the paper is strong and crisp. Normal foxing and browning of the time are present but do not preclude reading. Notable merit: the text is entirely free of tears, free of wormholes and has no missing parts. Occasionally there are small ink marks at the margin, which do not touch or impair the text. Some pages have been cut a little imprecisely at the upper margin. * Binding: Contemporary (or slightly later) in marbled rustic paper. The binding is structurally loose and somewhat open toward the end of the volume, but all pages and gatherings are perfectly bound and attached. The spine in paper shows heavy abrasions, gaps and wear from the period along the hinge, with the paper lifting revealing much of the original stitching. A conservative restorative intervention on the spine would restore the volume to its original solidity.

Estimate:$1.12

View all items fromCatawikiorBooks, Maps & Manuscripts