Hanzelet Lorrain - La Pyrotechnie - 1630

CANNON, MINE, ROCKETS AND FIREWORKS – THE GREAT ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF GUNPOWDER
133 ILLUSTRATIONS OF WAR MACHINERY AND PYROTECHNICS
Rare second edition, deeply reworked and enlarged, of the famous Pyrotechnie by Jean Appier Hanzelet, printed at Pont-à-Mousson by Gaspard Bernard in 1630. One of the most spectacular French technical treatises of the early seventeenth century, the work covers the entire universe of gunpowder: artillery, cannons, mortars, military machines, sieges, mines, incendiary devices, rockets and fireworks. The volume derives from the Recueil de plusieurs machines militaires et feux artificiels of 1620, but was completely revised and significantly expanded, becoming a new and more mature synthesis of Hanzelet’s technical knowledge. The extraordinary iconographic apparatus is the true heart of the work: a spectacular engraved title page and no less than 133 engravings throughout the text and beyond, including fourteen full-page plates. The images document war machines, instruments, artillery pieces, offensive and defensive systems, pyrotechnic devices and technical procedures, turning the volume into one of the most fascinating visual testimonies of European military technology of the seventeenth century.

WHY TO BUY
RARA EDIZIONE DEL 1630! The broadest and most developed form of Hanzelet’s great technical treatise.
133 INCISIONI! A spectacular museum on paper of cannons, military machines, rockets and pyrotechnic systems.
GUNPOWDER + ARTILLERY + FIREWORKS! War and spectacle brought together in a single baroque book.
A GREAT CLASSIC OF MILITARY TECHNOLOGY! One of the most fascinating illustrated manuals of the early seventeenth century.

MARKET VALUE
The Pyrotechnie of 1630 belongs to the most interesting tier of seventeenth-century military and pyrotechnic treatises. The rarity of the edition, the exceptional pictorial apparatus, and the transversal interest in military history, artillery, technology and pyrotechnics support international demand. For a complete copy of the engraved title page and the 133 illustrations, preserved in old binding and in good general condition, a retail value in the order of €3,000–5,000 seems realistic, with potential for higher offers for copies in especially fresh condition and with crisp engravings.

PHYSICAL / CONDITION
Pp. [7] unnumbered leaves, 264 pages, [3] unnumbered leaves. Spectacular engraved title page. Iconographic apparatus composed of 133 engravings in the text and as plates, including 14 full-page plates. Numerous initials, ornaments and typographic devices. Contemporary full brown morocco binding, spine with raised bands and gilt ornamented compartments and title; sprinkled edges. Abrasions and normal signs of use to the binding, with small defects to boards and spine, dents and worn corners. Papers with uniform browning, occasional foxing, stains and general signs of age. Important copy of one of the most spectacular illustrated manuals of the seventeenth century. As with all ancient volumes, there may be slight defects or restorations not expressly mentioned.

FULL TITLES & AUTHORS
Jean Appier, called Hanzelet or Hanzelet Lorrain.
La Pyrotechnie.
Pont-à-Mousson: Gaspard Bernard, 1630.
SECOND EDITION, DEEPLY REWORKED AND ENLARGED.
[7] unnumbered leaves, 264 pages, [3] unnumbered leaves.
Engraved title page and 133 engravings, including 14 full-page plates.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Jean Appier, called Hanzelet or Hanzelet Lorrain, was an engraver, printer, inventor and specialist in artillery and pyrotechnics active in Lorraine in the first half of the seventeenth century. The nickname “Hanzelet,” diminutive of Hans and thus equivalent to “Petit Jean,” served to distinguish him from his father Jean Appier, an engineer in the service of the Dukes of Lorraine and involved in the fortifications of Nancy. He settled as a printer at Pont-à-Mousson around 1620, and Hanzelet combined publishing with notable skill as an engraver and deep technical experience in the field of gunpowder. He was later named “Maistre des feux artificiels” by Duke Charles IV of Lorraine, a title attesting to his competence both in spectacular pyrotechnics and military applications. Pyrotechnie represents the peak of this dual identity: an artist of engraving and a fire specialist, capable of translating machines, procedures and inventions into images of extraordinary clarity.

RARITY
The Pyrotechnie of 1630 is considerably rare, especially when it preserves the vast pictorial apparatus in its entirety. It is not merely a reprint of the Recueil of 1620: Hanzelet deeply reworked the text, added new content and dramatically expanded the iconographic program. Several military machines and technical solutions are presented here in a new or more detailed form. The practical nature of the book also contributed to the dispersal of copies and the deterioration of the illustrations, frequently consulted by technicians, military personnel and specialists. The presence of the engraved title page, of the 133 images and of the 14 full-page plates makes a well-preserved copy particularly desirable.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
The Pyrotechnie documents a decisive moment in the history of European technology, when gunpowder had already radically transformed both war and public spectacle. The very knowledge required to construct rockets, charges, mines and incendiary devices could be applied to the creation of elaborate fireworks for princely celebrations. Hanzelet perfectly embodies this dual culture of fire: on the one hand cannons, mortars, siege machines, mines and offensive systems; on the other, rockets and pyrotechnic devices intended for Baroque wonder. The 133 engravings have an essential function: they do not merely decorate the text, but allow a concrete understanding of structures, instruments and technical procedures. For this reason Pyrotechnie belongs to the great European tradition of “books of machines,” in which image, science and professional practice become inseparable.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Augustin Calmet, Bibliothèque lorraine, ou Histoire des hommes illustres qui ont fleuri en Lorraine.
Maurice J. D. Cockle, A Bibliography of English Military Books up to 1642 and of Contemporary Foreign Works.
J. R. Partington, A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder.
Friedrich Klemm, A History of Western Technology.
Bert S. Hall, Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics.
Repertori bibliografici dedicati alla storia dell’artiglieria, della pirotecnica e dei libri di macchine europei del XVII secolo.