"The first Bit for a Horse with a Good, Sweet Mouth"

This beautiful 1570 woodblock print comes from the German edition of the famous work by Federigo Grisone: Künstlicher Bericht und allerzierlichste Beschreibung wie die streitbarn Pferdt zum Ernst und ritterlicher Kurzweil geschickt und vollkommen zu machen. (The Title roughly translates an "A Report and Various Descriptions of the Art of making resistant Horses into earnest and rideable steeds....)

It is printed on both sides. The paper is clearer and lighter than it looks on this scan.

Federigo Grisone described himself as a "gentil huommo neapolitano" or gentleman from Naples, assembled the knowledge of his time on how to train and dress horses. He is considered one of the founders of the modern science of horsemanship.

The book, one of the first of its kind, was widely printed in different languages during the 16th Century.

We have additional illustrations of elaborate bits for different types of horses available.

Dimensions: 31 X 21 cm

Condition: A small tear runs around 1.5 inches in from bottom of sheet.

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