[GIFFART, Pierre].
L'art militaire françois, contenant l'exercice & le maniement des armes, tant des officiers que des soldats, réprésenté par des figures en taille-douce dessinées d'après nature. Avec un petit abregé d'exercice comme il se fait aujourd'hui. Dédié à Monseigneur le Marechal Duc de Boufflers.
"Paris" [printed in the Netherlands?], "Pierre Giffart" [publisher unknown], 1697. Small 8vo (16 x 10 cm). With engraved frontispiece and 85 full-page engraved illustrations (12 x 7.5 cm). Contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine. [14], 178 pp.
€ 5,750
Second (probably pirated) edition of a succinct and well-illustrated military exercise book, first published by Giffart in Paris in 1696. Its 85 precisely engraved illustrations show the use of the pike, halberd, musket and in a few figures the sword by various officers and soldiers. One plate shows a grenadier with grenade in hand, just about to throw it. They are also valuable for their meticulous rendition of the military uniforms.
The present edition is much rarer than the first edition of 1696 and the Paris edition of 1698. We have located only 4 other copies, none in a French collection, though the present copy has a French provenance and probably a French binding.
With engraved bookplate of the library of Baron de Marbot (1782-1854). Somewhat browned, but otherwise in very good condition. The binding is slightly worn, with some early restorations, but still good. Rare pirated second edition of a very detailed visual record of the use of arms and of French military uniforms in the 17th century. Goldsmith BMC STC French, G403; KVK & WorldCat (4 copies); cf. Hiler 46 (1696 ed.); Lipperheide Qk1 (1696 ed.); not in Colas; for Giffart: Thieme-Becker XIV, pp. 9-10.
Related Subjects:
