Elizabeth David's copy.- Scappi (Bartolomeo) Dell'arte del cucinare con il mastro di casa e il trinciante, engraved pictorial title depicting Bacchus and other figures and 27 plates, of which 1 folding, woodcut decorative initials, sigs. D and 2G, and ff. 4I2&3 loose, some water-staining at foot of plates, a few plates trimmed at head just within platemark, the odd small marginal repair, some spotting and staining (including some mostly marginal water-staining), lightly browned, closely trimmed at head, antique style vellum, yapp edges, gilt author's name within decorative border to spine, [B.IN.G 1784; Cagle 1184; Notaker 909.16; Paleari Henssler p.674; Vicaire 775; Westbury 203:7], 4to, Venice, Combi, 1643.

⁂ A rare edition at auction of this classic of the gastronomic canon, with the last copy we trace being sold in 2005. Vicaire considers the plates in this edition to be engraved with much more care than those in earlier ones. Scappi (c.1500-1577) served a number of Italian nobles, including Pope Pius IV at the Vatican. He declared parmesan to be the best cheese on earth, and he gives us one of the earliest references to the force-feeding of geese to produce foie gras.

Provenance: Elizabeth David (bookplate to front pastedown and various autograph notes and pieces of ephemera loosely inserted).