Li tre trattati

GIEGHER, Mattia

Published by Paolo Frambotto, 1639

About this Item

Oblong 4to, three parts in one, pp. (xx) including portrait of author, 54 (xxxiv), + 48 engraved plates (two folding), two ll. misplaced. Roman and italic letter, woodcut floriated initials, typographical ornaments, full page engraved portrait of author, 46 full-page engraved plates depicting napkins folded in artistic ways, different types of meat, poultry and fish, fruits and set tables, two fold-out plates illustrating carving knives and forks. Intermittent age yellowing, marginal fingersoiling to some outer margins, deckle edges. A very good, wide-margined copy, crisp and clean, in contemporary carta rustica, covers a little worn. Bookseller s label Chiesa Milano , bibliographic annotations and early manuscript initials G.P. (?) to front paste-down. Second edition of this very rare and beautifully illustrated collection of three culinary treatises on table service and food carving by Giegher, including the very first work on the art of folding table linen. Complete copies, remarkably including Giegher s portrait (often missing) are extremely rare. Li tre trattati was a popular book: this second (posthumous) edition contains a new letter to the reader by the printer Frambotto, warning of a plagiarised version. Giegher s plates have been reproduced and copied in many later cookbooks. The Bavarian Mattia Giegher (born Mathias Jäger, c. 1589-1632) was a native of Moosburg who moved to Padua at the age of 22. Here, he worked as a trinciante (meat carver) and scalco (banquet manager), organising banquets and waiting tables for the prestigious German community of jurists at the University of Padua. At the time, aristocratic banquets were of enormous cultural importance, organised by courts and as a way of displaying wealth and power, consolidating friendships and forming political alliances. Li tre trattati , first published in 1629, is a fascinating manual by Giegher containing all the information required for preparing and serving food to high-class clients. It comprises the expanded versions of two earlier treatises Lo scalco (1623) and Il trinciante (1621) with the addition of a new and innovative work on napkin folding (never printed separately). At the time, fine dining was becoming more formal and elaborate in presentation: this work is an extraordinary witness of the unusual and extravagant dining practices of the rich and famous. In his Trattato delle piegature (Treatise on folding), Gieger for the first time describes in detail the art of napkin folding, using images for teaching and creative purposes. In addition to explaining how to fold napkins for wiping hands and mouth, he shows how to create complex artistic sculptures, called folded centrepieces. Renaissance table linens were expected to surprise and entertain: the plates in this treatise depict centrepieces shaped as birds, lions, fish, a crab, a tortoise, a dog, heraldic and mythological creatures, even a ship with four sails. These sculptures were not merely decorative, but objects with a symbolic meaning to be discussed by the participants. Interestingly, rather than providing models of certain shapes to be reproduced, Giegher teaches how to master the basic folding techniques (fan, curved and herringbone) so that the aspirant folder could invent his own designs. The second treatise is dedicated to the profession of the scalco , sometimes translated as head steward or banquet manager . The scalco was responsible for the organisation of every aspect of the banquet and for its success, from hiring the chefs and selecting what dishes to serve, to setting the tables. In this treatise, Giegher summarises the knowledge and skills that a scalco needs to possess: the first part explores the seasonality of foods indicating the best months of the year for eating certain meats, vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. Then, the author proposes long menus for meals that are perfect for different seasons or occasions: for example, the menu of a br. Seller Inventory # L3570

Bibliographic Details

Title: Li tre trattati

Publisher: Paolo Frambotto

Publication Date: 1639

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Edition: 2nd Edition