[Book of the 16th century]. BOILLOT (Joseph).... - Lot 9 - Chayette & Cheval

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[Book of the 16th century]. BOILLOT (Joseph).... - Lot 9 - Chayette & Cheval
[Book of the 16th century]. BOILLOT (Joseph). Nouveaux pourtraitz et figures de termes pour us en l'architecture, composz enrichiz de diversité d'animaulx, representez au vray, selon l'antipathie contrarieté naturelle de chacun d'iceulx. Imprime a Le[n]gres par Ieha[n] des prey, [Langres, Jean Des Preyz, 1592]. Small folio, 55 [of 62] f. [sign. *6; A-H6; I8], old soft parchment, smooth muted spine, modern laces, interior and exterior restorations (soiling, title restored, tear repaired on f. F1; missing 7 leaves: *2, *3, *5 and *6 -that is the preface- , B1, B3 and B5). First edition of this curious work, composed and engraved by the architect and engineer Joseph Boillot, native of Langres (1546-1605). "[...] surprising collection of zoomorphic terms, which is a priori in the line of the Work of the diversity of terms of Hugues Sambin (1572). Intended for architects, it proposes, not without logic, to replace human statues by animals in the figurative supports. [...] Providence has given animals to carry out heavy and arduous tasks: it is therefore natural that they should also replace men in the work of supporting architecture. From there, the author proposes a series of fifty-five terms, in an approximate classification that goes from the heaviest animals and the most able to carry the heavy loads and, therefore, to decorate the first floors of the buildings (the elephant, the rhinoceros or the ox), to the smallest and weakest (the porcupine or the monkey). Wild and exotic beasts, common and domestic animals, strange and mythical creatures (even if the unicorn or the griffin were not at the time) are mixed together. Boillot adds salt to the game by associating with each of the animals represented its "natural antipathy and contrariety", that is to say one or more animals that are opposed to it according to the conceptions of the natural sciences of the time [...]." (Yves Pauwels, notice, 2004, in http://architectura.cesr.univ-tours.fr/). The illustration consists of an engraved title frame, a portrait of the author and 55 full-page animal compositions, 16 woodcuts and 39 intaglio, only the latter signed by J. Boillot. There are 3 figures missing on f. B1, B3 and B5. Ornate initials with animal figures. Architectural sketches in red chalk on v° of the last f. in the margin of the vignette. (USTC 24645; Berlin Kat. 3924).
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