Scappi, Bartolomeo

Scappi, Bartolomeo. Opera di M. Bartolomeo Scappi, cuoco secreto di Papa Pio Quinto, divisa in sei libri. [Venice: Michele Tramezzino, c. 1570], woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, engraved portrait of Scappi opposite fol.1, 27 engraved plates (one double-page), portrait shaved, two plates poorly printed [together with]

Cervio, Vincenzo. Il trinciante... ampliato, et ridotto a perfettione dal cavallier Reale Fusoritto da Narni. Venice: heirs of Francesco Tramezzino, 1581, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, 2 woodcut plates (one double-sided), paper flaw in I3, last leaf torn without loss, one plate with loss at fore-edge



2 works in one volume, 4to (204 x 142mm.), nineteenth-century boards with red morocco lettering-piece, slight damp-staining, binding rubbed

Censimento 16 CNCE 35437 & 10906; cf. Wellcome 5811 & Mortimer, Harvard Italian 467 for the dated edition, both specifying that the dated edition was printed second

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

First editionof Scappi's comprehensive compilation of food and recipes, with detailed illustrations of kitchens and cooking implements, including knives and furniture, and a depiction of a meal being served during the Conclave that followed the death of Paul III in 1549. This is the most detailed of sixteenth-century Italian cookery books, recording not just the cuisine and the banquets of the aristocracy and the papal court, but also the humble local dishes of Rome and Venice, and food suitable for the sick.

This is one of two editions printed by Michele Tramezzino, the other of which contains a colophon dated 1570 and has 444 numbered leaves (this copy has 369). The present edition is considered to have been printed first.

Cervio's work on the role of the trinciante or carver was first published in two editions in Venice in 1581. He worked as trinciante to Guidobaldo II, duke of Urbino, and subsequently to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in Rome; his successor in Farnese's employ was Reale Fusoritto who arranged the publication of his manuscript.

These two works are very often found bound together; later editions of Scappi's works included Cervio's Il trinciante.