A Venetian edition of Rafaele Frianoro’s 'Il Vagabondo…', one of two early copies sold by Potter & Potter at $1900 (£1440) for the pair.
Neither copy of this work focusing on the activities of various types of charlatans, frauds, and beggars bore a date on the title, but the Venetian edition whose title-page is shown here, the saleroom suggested, may date from the 1650s.
Both this copy and a Bassano edition bearing the same woodcut title vignette, but showing rather more browning and soiling, retained the original paper wrappers but were preserved in later boards.
An online search also revealed some fairly modern reprints, in one of which this ‘Book of Vagabonds’ is said to have been pseudonymously written in 1621 by a Dominican friar.
The lot sold at Potter & Potter's December 12 Winter Magic sale.
