Tardif / Artelouche - Fauconnerie de Guill [Bound w:] Fauconnerie... de Alagona. - 1567

First edition - Two five-century Falconerie illustrated, conquering the market at 10K.
Recently sold at auction for EUR 9,660.
A volume of exceptional bibliographic interest that combines two of the oldest and rarest Renaissance treatises on the art of falconry. Printed in Poitiers in 1567 by the Bouchez brothers' workshop for Enguilbert de Marnef, it gathers into a single edition the two Fauconneries: that of Guillaume Tardif, a French humanist and pedagogue, and that of Arthelouche de Alagona, a Sicilian nobleman connected to the court. The work vividly illustrates the practice of falcon hunting, blending humanist erudition, naturalistic observation, and practical precepts. The woodcuts of raptors, ornate initials, and Marnefian typographic marks give the volume not only a technical character but also a symbolic one, reflecting an aristocratic and almost esoteric knowledge that saw in the falcon an image of nobility, discipline, and spiritual mastery.
Market value
The union of the two Fauconneries in the same volume makes the specimen extremely rare. When similar copies appear on the market, they easily reach 20,000-25,000 euros; complete and well-preserved specimens can exceed 30,000 euros. The presence of woodcut illustrations and the dual editorial structure increase its collectible value.

Physical description and condition
Contemporary binding in full floppy parchment, with traces of ties. Title page with a typographic mark, numerous ornate woodcut initials, illustrations of raptors. Slight foxing and browning. Pages (4); 4nn; 96; 2nn; 38; (4).

Full title and author
The Falconry of Guill
Bound w:
The Falconry of Messire Arthelouche de Alagona.
Poitiers, by Enguilbert de Marnef and the Bouchetz brothers, 1567.
Guillaume Tardif

Context and Significance
Falconry, a hunting practice already widespread in Asia and medieval Europe, became a prestigious discipline reserved for the nobility during the Renaissance. The two Fauconneries offer complementary perspectives: Tardif's, more systematic and didactic, almost encyclopedic, with extensive space for recipes and remedies; and Alagona's, more aristocratic and symbolic, imbued with direct experience and connections to Mediterranean chivalric culture. The union within the same volume reflects the publisher's intention to provide a comprehensive compendium, suitable both for hunting practice and for contemplating the falcon as an emblem of nobility, vigilance, and discipline. It is a primary source for the history of avian veterinary medicine, hunting literature, and the noble culture of France and Sicily in the 16th century.

Biography of the Authors
Guillaume Tardif was born around 1430 and died in 1492. Humanist and educator, he was one of the most closely associated intellectuals with the court of Louis XI, a translator and author of manuals. His Fauconnerie reflects the desire to systematize technical knowledge within humanistic literary forms.
Arthelouche de Alagona, who lived in the 16th century, belonged to a noble Sicilian family linked to the monarchy. He was a counselor and chamberlain to the King of Sicily, and his Fauconnerie reflects a practical and aristocratic approach to the discipline of hunting, conveyed in an educated yet straightforward language.

Printing history and circulation
The edition was printed in Poitiers in 1567 by Enguilbert de Marnef and the Bouchez brothers, renowned printers for the high quality of humanistic and technical texts. The merging of the two works into the same volume was part of an editorial strategy aimed at creating comprehensive compendiums for an elite audience. The print run was probably limited and intended for noble circles. Today, complete copies are recorded in very few European libraries and rarely appear on the antiquarian market.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Souhart, R., General bibliography of works on hunting, Paris, 1886.
Thiébaud, G., Bibliography of French works on hunting, Paris, 1934.
Schwerdt, C. F. G., Hunting, Hawking, Shooting, London, 1928.
Brunet, J.-C., Manual of the bookseller and book lover, Paris, 1860.
Graesse, J. G. T., Treasure of Rare and Precious Books, Dresden, 1859.