Estampes

Folio (270 x 387 mm). (6), 92, (2) pp. With 2 plates of engraved music and 8 (including frontispiece) coloured aquatints by or after Bonatti, Castellini, Gallina, and Pallagi. Contemporary ruby-red morocco, elaborately gilt with gilt inner dentelle and giltstamped arms to both covers. Green moirée silk endpapers. Green silk divider. Only edition. Of all of Gironi's publications, all of which are of a similar nature, the present work on Greek music is one of the rarest, published in only 30 copies and printed on strong, very wide-margined wove paper. This is the dedication copy for Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria and Duchess of Parma (1791-1847), the wife of Napoleon and daughter of Francis I (1768-1835), first Emperor of Austria, with a printed dedication dated May 1825 and sumptuously bound with the Austrian arms on both covers. - "Cette dissertation n'étant point destinée au commerce, il n'en a été tiré que trente exemplaires, et l'auteur en a fait hommage à une dame à l'occasion de son mariage. Les gravures sont d'après les dessins de peintres célèbres" (Brunet). - The eight hand-coloured aquatints, showing costumes and musical instruments, are blindstamped with Giulio Ferrario's monogram ("Il costume antico e moderno"). An entirely complete copy, showing only some slight spotting and some foxing to margins. Old catalogue description pasted to lower free endpaper. Traces of professional restorations to spine and hinges. Latterly in the collection of the legendary French maître coiffeur Louis Alexandre Raimon (1922-2008), hairdresser to film stars and aristocracy, with his ownership stamp to first free endpaper ("Collection Alexandre de Paris"). Brunet II, 1615. Graesse III, 89. OCLC 13996001.