Benoît Baudouin / Giulio Negroni / Albert Rubens - De...

1667 FIRST EDITION ON HISTORY OF FASHION, SHOES, COSTUME, CLOTHING FROM THE GREEKS AND ROMANS TO THE RENAISSANCE by Benoît Baudouin (Benedictus Balduinus) and Giulio Negroni (Julius Nigronus). TWO authors/books in a single volume and first edition of this original book printed in Amsterdam on footwear of antiquity, with illustrations showing sandals, boots, skates, snowshoes, skis, footwear of Roman soldiers, shoes of several popes and emperors etc. and with numerous quotes from classical, biblical and legal sources, illustrated with 28 plates (7 of which fold out), and engraved by Hendrik Bary (1632–1707), a prominent Dutch engraver, originally from the town of Gouda. This work "De Calceo Antiquo (Ancient Shoes)" by Benoît Baudouin was published together with "De Caliga Veterum (Ancient Boots)" by Giulio Negroni. Two titles bound together, at the end are inserted some chapters of the "De Re Vestiaria Veterum (Clothing of the Ancients)" by Albert Rubens (1614–1657), the eldest son of Peter Paul Rubens. His research as a philologist and scholar of antiquity gained him the recognition of fellow scholars throughout Europe. He held an official position as secretary of the Privy Council in the government of the Habsburg Netherlands. Original contemporary binding in excellent condition, virtually intact, as per photo. 1667 COMPLETE FIRST EDITION. TWO WORKS/AUTHORS IN ONE VOLUME. ONLY 10 COPIES IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, as per the USTC sheet here; https://www.ustc.ac.uk/editions/1804089. The volume opens with a beautiful full-page illustrated title page signed by the Dutch engraver Hendrik Bary. It depicts a classical scene where a scholar or artisan leans against a pedestal inscribed with the authors' and works' titles, while a person kneels to adjust or examine an antique Roman footwear (a calceus or caliga). The famous Roman emperor Caligula received his nickname, meaning "Little Boot," because he wore miniature caligae as a child in his father's military camps. The book is famous for its 28 elaborate copperplate engravings, illustrating various types of ancient footwear, bare feet, ancient coins, statues, and artistic reconstructions of shoemaking. One of the most interesting chapters is the one dedicated to the footwear of Roman legionaries. The Roman caliga was an engineering marvel of the ancient world. It wasn't a closed boot, but rather a heavy-duty, open-work hybrid between a sandal and a marching boot, specifically designed to withstand the brutal wear-and-tear of a legionary's 30-40 km daily march. The entire upper portion of the boot was cut from a single, thick piece of high-quality cowhide or oxhide. This single piece was cut into a network of straps that wrapped around the foot and ankle. The boot featured a heavy sole made of three distinct layers of leather: an insole, a midsole, and an outer sole. The secret to the caliga's durability was the iron hobnails driven into the bottom. A shoemaker would hammer 80 to 90 conical iron nails through the bottom layers of the sole and clench (bend) them flat against the insole before the final inner lining was added so they wouldn't pierce the soldier's foot, and at the same time transforming the soldier's foot into a weapon. A stomp or a kick from a boot reinforced with 90 iron spikes could be lethal to a downed enemy. TITLE: B. Balduinus De calceo antiquo, et Jul. Nigronus De caliga veterum... (Benoît Baudouin's The Ancient Shoes, and Giulio Negroni's Ancient Boots). MAIN AUTHORS: Benoît Baudouin (Benedictus Balduinus), Giulio Negroni (Julius Nigronus). Additional authors; Albert Rubens and Claudius Salmasius. Illustrated by Hendrik Bary PUBLISHER: Andreas Frisius or Andreae Frisi, with its logo & motto; "Optimi Consultores Mortui" (The dead are the best counselors), it suggests that the finest, most honest advice comes from those who have already passed away, leaving their knowledge behind in written form. DATE: 1667, printed in Amsterdam, text in Latin DESCRIPTION: 1 volume in 12°, size height 143 x width 95 mm or 5.6 by 3.8 inches. First book, [10], pages 345, [29]. Second book, [1], pages 213, [15], and illustrated with 28 plates, several of which fold out, and engraved by the Dutch engraver Hendrik Bary. Two works/books in one volume, complete edition. Original contemporary binding in rigid parchment and in excellent condition, virtually intact, rare defects, the binding is solid and fully functional, free of tears, losses, cracks, or structural damage, as shown in the photos. Good quality printing and paper, text printed in italics, woodcut head- and tail-pieces, decorated initials. A fine illustrated title page at the beginning, plus a title with the date for each work. The text and illustrations are clean, virtually intact, rare small stains or defects all in very good condition as per photo. COMPLETE FIRST EDITION. FIRST BOOKDE CALCEO ANTIQUO BY BENOÎT BAUDOUIN; Benoît Baudouin (Benedictus Balduinus, c.1560–1632) was a French scholar who was actually the son of a shoemaker. His treatise, De calceo antiquo ("On the Ancient Shoe"), focuses primarily on civilian footwear. He exhaustively detailed the different styles of sandals, slippers, and shoes worn by ancient Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews. Baudouin explored the social status attached to different shoe styles, the materials used, and the specific footwear of senators, philosophers, and women. SECOND BOOKDE CALIGA VETERUM BY GIULIO NEGRONI; Giulio Negroni (Julius Nigronus, 1553–1625) was an Italian Jesuit priest, orator, and Renaissance humanist from Genova. His work, De caliga veterum ("On the Boot of the Ancients") focuses specifically on the caliga—the heavy, hobnailed military boot worn by Roman legionaries and centurions. He analyzed the caliga not just as a piece of military equipment, but through its mentions in classical Latin texts, the Bible, civil law, and ancient stone inscriptions. THIRD BOOK/FRAGMENT OFDE RE VESTIARIA VETERUM BY ALBERT RUBENS; Albert Rubens’s treatise was a deep dive into the complex sartorial codes of the Roman Empire, combining his father's artistic eye for drapery with rigorous historical scholarship. Rubens discussed in meticulous detail the methods for manufacturing, dyeing, and using the clothing strictly reserved for senators. He analyzed the evolution of the toga, including the toga praetexta (worn by magistrates and aristocratic children, featuring a purple border) and the toga picta (the solid purple, gold-embroidered toga worn by victorious generals during triumphs). Rubens broke down the differences between the civilian toga and military cloaks like the paludamentum (the general's cloak) and the sagum (the standard soldier's cloak). REFERENCES: USTC n°1804089; BMC Vol II., 210.509; Short Title Catalogue Netherlands n°095183132; Colas 200; Lipperheide Bc5; Hiler p.70; Cicognara n°1567, “Very well done book, and with many clear plates”; Amsterdam, Netherlands, Universiteitsbibliotheek Universiteit van Amsterdam Shelfmark: 397 H 4; London, United Kingdom, British Library Shelfmark: 277.a.38. 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