Lucernae fictiles musei Passerii. (1739-1743) - ("The ceramic lanterns of the Passerii Museum")

Pesaro: Printed By In Aedibus Gavelliis, Sumtibus Academiae Pisaurensis, 1743. 1st edition. Leatherbound. Lucernae fictiles musei Passerii. ("The ceramic lanterns of the Passerii Museum") Pesaro, In Aedibus Gavelliis, 1739-1743, 2 vols. (of 3), (16),XXVIII,92; (10),XII,73p., 2 identical. engraved title-vignettes, portrait, 211 full-page engravings with blank versos. First title in red and black; second title only in black, both with wood-engraved title-vignette by Io. Bapt. Passerius & V(incenzo) F(ranceschini); engraved vignettes to all titles. The plates and head- and tail-pieces are engraved after Giuseppe Menabuoni, mainly by Vincenzo Franceschini.

Contemporary uniform. calf, large 4to. - Without the 3rd vol. (publ. 1751); both vols. with a few scattered (library) stamps and first blanks loose(ning); some foxing; hinges slightly weak. Bindings slightly worn; spine-ends dam.

= Illustrated overview of Giovanni Batista Passeri's collection of "antique" oil lamps. First edition of this celebrated illustrated account of Passeri's collection of oil-lamps. The collection was famous in its days as the best of its kind, but scholars have subsequently proved Passeri to have been the most gullible of collectors and that his collection consisted almost entirely of fakes. .