Cesare Vecellio. De gli Habiti Antichi, et Moderni di Diuerse Parti del Mondo Libri due,

fatti da Cesare Vecellio & con discorsida lui dichiarati. Venice, Damian Zenato, 1590, (24),499 lvs., title within rich woodcut border, also with the following full-p. woodcuts: 412 illustrations by Christoph Krieger (Christoforo Guerra, see page 155 and 200) of costumes from designs by Vecellio and others, all within ornamental woodcut borders, 5 views of Venice, 1 other illustration, early 19th-century full richly gilt crushed red morocco by Hardy-Mennil (signed on lower turn-in of front cover), both sides with the central gilt coat of arms of André Masséna and his gilt monogram AM with ornamental decoration in all corners, richly gilt turn-ins, ribbed and gilt spine with the Masséna monogram repeated in 4 compartments and the title and place and date of publication in the 2 remaining compartments, a.e.g.

Upper free endpapers together w. prel. blank loose and sl. frayed. Joints weakening at spine ends. Prel. blank w. owner's entry of Benjamin Fillon (dated 14 Juillet 1868), dedicating the copy to his friend Anatole de Montaiglon (dated 10 avril 1879). Colas 2976 ("très rare"); Lipperheide Aa33; Hiler p. 873; Adams 314. An unusually fine and clean, splendidly bound copy of the scarce first edition (no copies in PiCarta), with fine provenance: from the library of André Masséna (1758-1817), Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli and Napoléon's greatest general ("L'enfant chéri de la Victoire"). Masséna possibly acquired it during one of his Italian campaigns that gave him the reputation of a despoiler. The work by Cesare Vecellio (c. 1521-1601), a cousin of Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), is considered to be "the most complete and ancient encyclopedia of antique male and female costumes and the practices related to them". The extensive first section of this book covers European dress, including Ottoman Turkey, the shorter sections on Africa and Asia includes the costume of Persians, Moors and Arabs.