Beschreibung:

NERI, Antonio (1576-ca. 1614). L'arte Vetraria distinta in libri sette . Florence: Stamperia de'Giunta, 1612. 4 o (211 x 144 mm). Collation: + 4 A-P 4 . 64 leaves, paginated: [8] 1-114 [6]. Woodcut printer's device on title, numerous woodcut initials, some historiated. (Some pale spotting on title, scattered light foxing.) Contemporary limp vellum. Provenance : Early 19th-century owner's bibliographic notation on rear endpaper. RARE FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST BOOK DEVOTED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. Neri's L'Arte Vetraria published for the first time many of the closely guarded secrets of the craft, including techniques for coloring glass using metallic oxides to give clear and uniform colors, as well as how to produce various veined effects. Several chapters are devoted to making lead glass of high refractive index and enamel (or opaque) glass by the addition of tin oxide. It is believed that Neri learned the art of glassmaking at Murano, near Venice, and to have continued his studies of this and other chemical arts in the Low Countries. Cicognara 1726; see Ferguson II, p. 134-35 (later edition) note; Partington II, p. 368; Norman 1582.