GONZALO ARGOTE DE MOLINA - LIBRO DE LA MONTERIA - 1582

Subject: Old book from the second half of the 16th century. Hunt. Montería - Gonzalo Argote de Molina.

Publication: Seville, Andrea Pescioni, 1582. First edition.

Description: Folio (29 cm). 6 pages (including cover), 91 pages, along with "Discourse on the book of hunting", 25 pages, 1 sheet. 19th century Valencian full leather binding with red cover on the spine.

Conservation: Good condition. Reviewed and complete. Cover with small reinstated loss affecting a small part of the title. Small perforation on folio 81 affecting the text minimally. Light stains and slightly rusty paper on some pages.

Notes: This is the first work written in Spanish about hunting and the first to include engravings. Although it is believed that it was written by Alfonso XI (1311-1350) or at his request, its publication took place in 1582, under the edition of Argote de Molina. Among the 35 woodcut illustrations, 3 hunting scenes in America stand out, such as the hunting of tigers in Mexico and ostriches in Peru, as well as hunting scenes of leopards, lions and elephants in the East.

Argote de Molina (1548-1596) added new chapters to this medieval work that detail hunting in the Spanish colonies of America, ranging from the hunting of guanacos and vicuñas in Mexico, Cuba and Peru, among other regions. In this way, this book becomes the first work that documents and illustrates hunting on the American continent. It is worth highlighting the description of bullfighting and its engraving, which is the first time it has been represented in a book.

Origin: 'Exlibris' on the back cover of the Infante Don Antonio de Borbón, Son of Charles III, and younger brother of Charles IV, and Ferdinand of Naples. He is fond of hunting and also of the art of bookbinding.

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