Ludicrum Chiromanticum Praetorii: Seu Thesaurus Chiromantiae Praetorius, Johannes Curiosa & Occulta,Esoterica,Woodcuts

Unlock the secrets of palm-reading and physiognomy... maybe. Pp. [1] f.e., [12] incl. illustrated frontispiece (wrong pagination); 36, 856 + [1] folded plate; [2], 14, 857-1026 (pp. 100-126 all wrongly numbered 1000-10026); 301-340, [60], [1] r.e. Contemporary full stiff parchment binding withmanuscript title on spine (some minor staining); blue edges (faded). Small restored loss to the title page, not affecting the text. Leaves faintly yellowed, with some slightly browned. Some margins somewhat short, with a couple of illustrations showing folded edges. Richly decorated engraved frontispiece, followed by typographic title page with a small woodcut ornament. Woodcut ornaments, tailpieces throughout the volume. Numerous in-text woodcut illustrations and 1 folded plate between p. 8-9 (first numeration). The copy shows some age-related signs but overall charming. Reference: Caillet 8950; Fitzherbert 487; Sabattini 443. From: QUERINIANA CHIROMANTICA. Exhibition of ancient books from the catalogue of the Biblioteca Queriniana. Born in Bohemia in 1537, Johann Richter (known as Praetorius) distinguished himself as a mathematician and astronomer at the University of Wittenberg and is especially remembered as the inventor of the "tavoletta pretoriana", an instrument used for transcribing topographical surveys. The work Ludicrum Chiromanticum is divided into several parts and reflects the author's scientific training, with repeated astrological references. As with Copernicus, Praetorius chooses to invoke the figure of the legendary Hermes Trismegistus. The first part of the work introduces the fundamental terms of "chirosophy". The second, shorter part consists of a type of manual for recognizing destinies or events through the study of the hand (long life, short life, illnesses, violent death, etc.). The third part introduces "chirology" asserting without hesitation that Chiromantia est scientia, and elaborates on everything only hinted at in the first part: the lines of the hand, mounts, fingers, nails, with a focus on the correct proportions of the hand. Subsequently, the author presents works by various philosophers and physicians, including Robert Fludd's Chiromantia and the Chiromantia of Balthasar Summer and Samuel Kelner. Of particular interest is the section "Bibliotheca Chiromantica", which lists the principal publications on the subject, such as the works of Achillini, Cardano, Cocles, Corvus, Gaurico, Göckel, Piccioli, and Tricasso. The Ludicrum concludes with a treatise on metoposcopy. Noteworthy is the richly illustrated frontispiece, showing in the lower left the figures of Hermes Trismegistus, Johannes Indagine, and Rudolph Göckel. Despite being presented as the most comprehensive treatise on chiromancy, the work was never reprinted. Curated by Enrico Dilda, with the collaboration of Elena Avanzi, Giulia Brunelli, and Angela Valentino. Biblioteca Queriniana, Atrio Antico, 13 July - 28 August 2021. Praetorius, Johann. Ludicrum Chiromanticum, impensis Johannis Bartholom. Oehleri bibl. Lips., Leipzig, 1661. [10a.S.IV.47]