Details
[BLOME, Richard]. The Gentlemans Recreation. In two parts. The first being an Encyclopedy of the Arts and Sciences ... The second part treats of horsemanship, hawking, hunting, fowling, fishing and agriculture. With a short treatise on cock-fighting. London: S. Roycroft for R. Blome, 1686.
Large 2° (447 x 312mm.). LARGE-PAPER COPY. Engraved frontispiece and 81 plates, all except one IN CONTEMPORARY COLOURING. (Without the final two plates of subscribers and 3 other plates listed by Schwerdt, but with an additional plate. Small inkblot on plate 'Maning Hawks', tear in first plate of 'Hunting' and in text leaf Y neatly repaired affecting 5 letters.) Contemporary red morocco gilt, sides decorated with drawerhandle tools and fleurs-de-lys (very skilfully restored and rebacked), edges gilt, in velvet-lined buckram case.
FIRST EDITION. COLOURED AND LARGE-PAPER COPIES ARE VERY RARE. Plates not present are the final two armorials of subscribers (here numbering only 193), the last plate of 'Horsemanship', 'The Stagg at Bay' and 'Pomona'. However, there is one additional plate not known to Schwerdt, 'Hunting the Hare with deep mouthed Hounds'. Two plates are before letters and one has the dedication left blank. Schwerdt states 'perfect copies are rarely found'. The present copy may have been supplied to one of the early subscribers, as suggested by the plates before letters. Wing B3213; Schwerdt Catalogue I p.72.
Large 2° (447 x 312mm.). LARGE-PAPER COPY. Engraved frontispiece and 81 plates, all except one IN CONTEMPORARY COLOURING. (Without the final two plates of subscribers and 3 other plates listed by Schwerdt, but with an additional plate. Small inkblot on plate 'Maning Hawks', tear in first plate of 'Hunting' and in text leaf Y neatly repaired affecting 5 letters.) Contemporary red morocco gilt, sides decorated with drawerhandle tools and fleurs-de-lys (very skilfully restored and rebacked), edges gilt, in velvet-lined buckram case.
FIRST EDITION. COLOURED AND LARGE-PAPER COPIES ARE VERY RARE. Plates not present are the final two armorials of subscribers (here numbering only 193), the last plate of 'Horsemanship', 'The Stagg at Bay' and 'Pomona'. However, there is one additional plate not known to Schwerdt, 'Hunting the Hare with deep mouthed Hounds'. Two plates are before letters and one has the dedication left blank. Schwerdt states 'perfect copies are rarely found'. The present copy may have been supplied to one of the early subscribers, as suggested by the plates before letters. Wing B3213; Schwerdt Catalogue I p.72.