Italy rare books

First edition. 2 vols, 8vo, xxii, [ii], 399, [iii]; xiv, [ii], 437 pp., 20 engraved plates by Lizars after drawings by the author, contemporary polished calf gilt, chip to lower spine vol i, lacking 3 labels, marbled edges, offsetting from plates to text, light browning to some plates, joints cracked but firm, a good set.

Seventh edition (Silver Library issue). 8vo (19 x 14 cm), xi, 339pp, 3 illustrations including title-page vignette, bookplate; publisher's brown cloth, slightly faded on spine, gilt lettered; overall a good solid copy

First edition. 8vo, (20 x 14 cm), inscribed by author on title-page, slight foxing to edges, first free endpapers, title page, and pp.143 - 160; publisher's printed orange cloth; overall a good copy.

First edition, first issue; 8vo; 2pp. advertisements, followed by 32pp. publisher's catalogue correctly dated '5/05' and with Forster not listed, some scattered light foxing, mostly constrained to the earlier leaves, burgundy endpapers with faint contemporary ownership inscription to front free endpaper; publisher's cloth with title blocked in black on upper cover and lettered in gilt at spine, a little rubbed and bumped at corners, very minor rubbing to spine edges, slight shelf lean but overall a bright example.

First edition, 2 parts and supplement in 1 vol; folio (45 x 32.5 cm); hand-coloured double-page map by G. Guerra and 59 engraved hand-coloured plates after Pietro Fabris, the plates edged in black with grey washed margins including two engraved titles; contemporary red morocco, richly gilt, covers with gilt dentelles. NB. lacks first leaf of text in vol. I, else an excellent example.

Third Dutch edition, large paper copy, 2 volumes in 2 parts in 4 volumes, folio (59 x 37 cm); Dutch text; 4 letterpress titles printed in red and black, 4 engraved titles in 3rd state, 4 engraved portraits (one of which double-page), engraved plate of coat-of-arms, double-page genealogical table, 136 engraved maps, plans, bird's-eye views, or plates, together with the additional single-page plate of the monument to Charles Emmanuel II on the Voie Sarde, engraved head- and tailpieces and initials (occasional very light and insignificant browning, a few plates with some scattered light spotting confined to extreme margins). Contemporary Dutch panelled mottled calf, richly gilt, spine with raised bands forming 9 compartments, morocco labels in second and third, gilt edges.

First edition, 2 volumes, 8vo, c, 530, [ii]; xiv, 555, [iii] pp., 16 pages ads date January 1860 end volume ii., 3 folding maps, numerous wood-engraved plates and illustrations in the text, original brown cloth gilt, a very good set.

Four volumes folio (53 x 40.5 cm). Vol. I: pp. iv ('Prefazione' and 'Imprimatur' leaf dated '25 Gennaro 1756' with list of Piranesi's publications verso), pp.(iv) Avviso al publico. 25 Augusto 1756. pp.(ii) Milord. Febbraio 1757.pp.40, pp. xi ('Spiegazione' and 'Osservazioni'), pp.iii ('Indice, O Sia Spiegazione'), pp.iv ('Indice'), pp.iii ('Indice'), pp.(ii) ('Repertorio'). Engraved frontispiece portrait of Piranesi by Polanzani, printed title, engraved double-page dedication plate with text 'Utilitati Publicae' (second state after the removal of 'Lord Charlemont'), Piranesi's text and 44 engraved plates plus 1 map, of which 5 are double-page, 1 large folding plate on two sheets, 2 folding plates on 1 sheet and 30 single page plates with two images;
Vol. II: engraved title, engraved double-page frontispiece and engraved list of subjects and 60 engraved plates, numbered I - LXIII (including title, frontispiece and list of subjects), of which 44 are double-page and one large double-page folding plate on 2 sheets;
Vol. III: engraved title and engraved double-page frontispiece and 52 plates, numbered I - LIV (including title and frontispiece), of which 42 are double-page and one large double-page folding plate on 2 sheets (four plates are by Girolamo Rossi and one by an anonymous artist);
Vol. IV: engraved title, engraved double-page frontispiece and engraved list of subjects and 57 plates.
Sheet size (double-page): c.725 x 520 mm (or the reverse). Watermarks examined include the shiled with sword and fleur-de-lys (Robison 61), a fleur-de-lys with initials (Robison 20 / 21), a fleur-de-lys within a single circle (Robison 18 / 19) however the majority of those present appear to be the fleur-de-lys within a double circle (Robison 33 / 35).
Full contemporary polished calf, rebacked, boards with triple-ruled borders and floral corner pieces in gilt, banded spines with gilt tooling and black leather label with gilt title in nine compartments, turn-ins tooled in gilt, marbled endpapers and edges. Repairs to edges and corners. An excellent example.

Landscape folio (390 x 58 cm), etched title and 50 etched and engraved plates of the villas of Tuscany after Zocchi by Piranesi and others, mostly Italian, occasional very minor soiling, contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt, red morocco label, neat repairs to joints and edges.

Landscape folio (30 x 42.2 cm), engraved title, dedication to Doge Luigi Mocenigo dated 27 May 1703, 103 numbered etched views by Carlevaris, puncture marks to the centre-verso of plate 103 running through to plate 95, with associated small holes to plates 100-103, occasional faint soiling and browning, contemporary panelled calf, gilt spine with red morocco label, speckled edges; rebacked preserving spine.