Ferraro - Cavallo Frenato - 1620

THE GREAT ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF ITALIAN HORSEMANSHIP IN-FOLIO ILLUSTRATED ON HORSEMANSHIP
Important edition of the famous Cavallo frenato by Pirro Antonio Ferraro, one of the great Italian treatises dedicated to horseback riding, Hippology, and the art of handling horses between the Renaissance and the early Seicento. Published in Venice by Francesco Prati in 1620, the work represents a broad synthesis of equestrian knowledge developed in the prestigious Italian schools, then considered a model at the main European courts. Ferraro addresses the training of the horse, the use of reins and bits, the morphology of the animal, the different breeds, breeding, and numerous technical aspects of mounting and breaking.
What is especially exceptional is the figurative apparatus: numerous woodcuts in the text and on full pages illustrate horses, postures, harnesses, bits, and a remarkable variety of bits, transforming the volume into a true iconographic repertoire of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century equestrian art. The great folio size, the first frontispiece printed in red and black, and the richness of the illustrations give the work a strong visual impact. A fundamental book not only for the history of horsemanship but also for the study of horse breeding, aristocratic culture, the technology of tack, and court life in modern Europe.

WHY TO BUY
GRAND IN-FOLIO HORSEMANSHIP OF 1620! One of the classics of Italian and European equestrian literature.
HORSES, TACK, AND BITS! A spectacular woodcut repertory dedicated to the art of handling and training.
ITALY, MASTER OF EUROPE! The knowledge of the great Italian equestrian schools that influenced European courts.
RARE EDITION! Two parts, double frontispiece, and a richly illustrated seventeenth-century apparatus.

MARKET VALUE
The seventeenth-century editions of Cavallo frenato belong to the most interesting tier of Italian antique equestrian bibliography, especially when complete and provided with the extensive woodcut apparatus. The folio format, the richness of the illustrations, and the historical importance of the work support international demand among collectors of horsemanship, Hippology, ancient veterinary works, and illustrated books. For a complete example of the second edition of 1620, with the woodcuts present and in good overall condition, a realistic retail value is in the €2,000–4,000 range. Exemplars in particular freshness, with wide margins, high-quality antique bindings, or significant provenance may fetch higher levels.

PHYSICAL / CONDITION
In-folio (mm 331 × 236). Two parts in one volume. [4], 118, [2]; 256 pages. Two frontispieces with typographic devices, the first printed in red and black. Rich iconographic apparatus consisting of numerous woodcuts in the text and on full pages depicting horses, equestrian postures, harnesses, trappings, and many types of bits. Small, skillful restorations to the ends of some leaves. Back binding in full parchment, with title printed in gold on a label on the smooth spine. Light browning, foxing, stains, and normal signs of use compatible with age. As with all old volumes, there may be slight defects or restorations not expressly mentioned.

FULL TITLES & AUTHORS
Pirro Antonio Ferraro.
Cavallo frenato by Pirro Antonio Ferraro, Neapolitan, horseman of the Catholic Majesty of Philip II, King of Spain, our lord. Divided into four books.
Venice: Francesco Prati, 1620.
SECOND EDITION.
In-folio (mm 317 × 222).
Two parts in one volume.
[4], 118, [2]; 256 pages.
Typographic devices at the two frontispieces, the first printed in red and black. Numerous woodcuts in the text and on full page depicting horses, bridles and bits.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Pirro Antonio Ferraro was one of the most important Italian authors of equestrian literature from the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century. Connected with the Neapolitan milieu, which at the time represented one of Europe’s major centers for riding and horse training, Ferraro developed his expertise within the context of the great Italian aristocratic schools. Naples, Ferrara, and other courts of the peninsula had indeed developed in the Renaissance an extremely sophisticated equestrian culture, destined to exert a deep influence on French, Spanish, and Central European horsemanship. Ferraro belongs to the tradition of the great Italian masters who regarded the horse not merely as a means of transport or a military instrument, but as the object of a true art founded on knowledge of anatomy, temperament, training, and the proper use of guiding devices. In Cavallo frenato he described with remarkable precision the characteristics of the different breeds, the criteria of breeding and selection, the techniques of breaking, and especially the use of bridles and bits. This latter subject constitutes one of the most characteristic aspects of the work: the author analyzes a vast range of devices, illustrating them through detailed woodcuts and explaining their use in relation to the conformation and character of the individual animal. The treatise thus represents a fundamental testimony to the complexity reached by Italian equestrian art in the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era.

RARITY
Cavallo frenato is one of the most significant titles in the great Italian antiquarian horsemanship bibliography. Complete copies of the seventeenth-century editions are particularly sought after because the highly practical character of the work and the large number of illustrations encouraged wear, mutilation, and loss of individual leaves over time. The second Venetian edition of 1620 retains notable bibliographic and iconographic interest thanks to its two-part structure, two frontispieces, and especially the vast woodcut repertoire devoted to horses, bridles, and bits. The completeness of the pictorial apparatus thus constitutes an essential element in appraisal. The large folio format and the specialist nature of the treatise make it a volume particularly desirable in collections dedicated to horses, horsemanship, veterinary science, military art, and the culture of European courts.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
Between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, Italy occupied a central position in the development of modern horsemanship. Italian masters developed training techniques, postures, exercises, and control systems for the horse that were adopted and reinterpreted in Europe’s great riding academies. Cavallo frenato documents this culture in exceptionally detailed fashion. Ferraro’s attention to morphology and temperament reveals a conception of training in which the choice of bit and bridle must be adapted to the individual horse’s characteristics. The vast repertoire of tack depicted in the woodcuts also constitutes a primary source for the history of equestrian technology and material culture. The work also contains information on breeds, breeding, and anatomy, broadening its focus beyond mere mounting technique. The volume therefore offers a direct testimony to the symbolic and practical importance of the horse in European aristocratic society: a war horse, a travel horse, a ceremonial horse, and above all an essential instrument of a gentleman’s education.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mennessier de La Lance, Essai de Bibliographie Hippique, I, pp. 460-462.
Brunet, Manuel du libraire et de l’amateur de livres, II, 1227.
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, II, 567.
Pirro Antonio Ferraro, Cavallo frenato, Venice, Francesco Prati, 1620.
Bibliographic surveys dedicated to Italian equestrian literature, Hippology, and the history of European horsemanship."