TUCCARO, Arcangelo. Trois dialogues de l'exercice de sauter, et voltiger en l'air.
Paris, chez Claude de Monstr'oeil, 1599
Very rare first edition. The oldest treatise on acrobatics and one of the most beautiful French illustrated books of the 16th century. The 87 full- and half-page figures depict gymnastic exercises and spectacular circus performances. The large plate, after page 142, shows an acrobat jumping, with a vault in three phases, through ten hoops held by ten men. Toole Statt; “An early technical work on aerobatics, with accompanying wood engravings. Of this work Pierre Bost writes: Ces trois dialogues sont accompagnés d' images très précises, comme géométriques...” Brunet: “Ouvrage assez rare.”
The treatise, written with talent and lyricism, is made up of three dialogues: the first examines the exercises practiced in ancient times, the art of jumping and the importance of dance; the second describes the acrobatic movements in depth and is accompanied by a large number of woodcuts showing trained acrobats performing jumps, somersaults, handstands, vaults, and illustrating take-off and landing techniques; the third teaches how to use exercises to keep the body agile, vigorous and healthy.
The book is very rare: 6 copies are listed by OCLC in the United States: Harvard, Getty, New York Public, Syracuse, Newberry Library, Illinois State University. Digital copy available in Gallica:
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k87031900#
This copy contains the leaf added in very few copies with the King's Privilege, placed before the A4 quire.
Adams T-1017; Lipperheide 3037; Brun pag. 306; Rahir 663; Toole Statt, Circus and alliend arts, II, 1693. Cfr. Jean Balsamo, L'amorevolezza verso le cose Italiche : le livre italien à Paris au XVIe siècle, Genève, Droz, 2015 (Travaux d'Humanisme et Renaissance, 86), n° 72; Alessandro Arcangeli, Renaissance Dance and Writing.
4to, 225X170 mm; full vellum binding, title on label on the spine; Leaves. [5], 197, i.e. 199, 1 blank, Repeated in the numbering pp. 59-60, errors in the page numbering; Woodcut initails and head pieces, 87 ilustrations in various dimensions, one large folded plate. Ancient owner's stamp to the Titlepage. Some restoration on title page and last leaf reinforced. Some brownings, complete specimen.