Beschreibung:

MERCURIALI, Girolamo (1530-1606). Artis gymnasticae apud antiquos celeberrimae, nostris temporibus ignoratae. Libri sex . Venice: Guinta, 1569. 4 o (202 x 154 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title-page and at end, engraved folding plate showing a plan of a classical gymnasium. (Title slightly frayed along fore-edge, a few small wormholes on upper margin of title and preliminaries and some gutter margins at end, few minor marginal dampstains.) Contemporary vellum. Provenance : Giorgio Pietro Beranty (early signature on title-page). RARE FIRST EDITION of "one of the earliest books to discuss the therapeutic value of gymnastics and sports generally for the cure of disease and disability, and an important study of gymnastics in the ancient world" (Garrison & Morton). The second edition, published in 1573, was the first illustrated book on gymnastics and contains 20 woodcuts by Coriolan. Garrison-Morton 1986.1; Norman 1495.