Ridinger, Johann Elias. (Presentation and Description of the School and Campaign Horses by their Lessons, In what occasions these may be used. – Annotations of the Caroussel.) 2 parts in 1 vol. Augsburg, the author, 1760(-61). Sm. fol. Engraved title, 35, 1 pp.; 8 pp. With large title vignette “Ad Pugnam Ludumque paratus.” (Fair to Fight + Game), several woodcut vignettes + borders and

62  etchings

(c. 19-20 x 14-16 cm and Caroussel plan, 28 x 15.7). Wonderful, richly blind tooled brown calf vol. in the style of old wooden board bindings on 5 especially broad imitated ribs with gilt spine incl. gilt stamp

“ BESCHREIB. CAMPAGNE PFERDEN LECTIONEN  /  ANNO 1760 ”

and two brass clasps. Contemp. coloured marbled edges.

Thienemann + Schwarz (vol. I, plate XXI) 646-707 + 1301; Weigel 36 A + 37 A (of A-B each); Silesian Ridinger collection at Boerner XXXIX, 1906-1908 ( only three torsos, two of them only in “new impressions”, 1885 ! ); Coppenrath (1889) 1561 (without the Caroussel set) + 1562 (without title, text + plan engraving) and (1890) 2000 (without title + Caroussel set, with faults) resp.; Reich auf Biehla 145 ( … of this esteemed work. Rare.” , 1894 ! ); Helbing XXXIV, 1252; Schwerdt III, 142; Menessier de la Lance II, 429.

in absolutely complete condition up to the 16^th engraving of the Caroussel, the plan. Its missing according to Weigel (1857) characteristic of newer editions. Accordingly Thienemann (1856) :

“ The omission of this plate (which contains a schematic representation of all caroussel tricks in lines, small figures, letters etc.) … is very impairing as without it one does not understand the added description. ”

He found it “In a really old, very well preserved copy … from England” , in which also pp. 1-4 of the Caroussel were bound with which the copy he had at first, see p. 136, missed just as pp. 17-35 of the riding school itself (see p. 295) only becoming known by the mentioned English copy, that is the

“ (Letter  by  a  very  experienced  horseman  from  a  princely  court  to  a  gentleman , containing :
Necessary  annotations  for  those  who  have  practised  horsemanship  under  a  master
for  quite  a  time , what they shall  take  care  of  when  they  get  away  of  him. ”

All this included in the copy here without restriction. With the exception of the “3-lined French ‘Avis’ on the not paginated (and otherwise empty, too) p. 36” of the pre-titles to the main part only Schwarz mentions. – Title + texts in German-French parallel text throughout.

The etchings widely set in fine surrounding accessories numbered 1-46 + 1-15 leaving aside the plan, the first completely inscribed with “Joh. El. Ridinger inv. del. sc. et excud. A. V.”, the other with the monogram “J. E. R.”. Present

in  uniform  really  wonderful  printing  quality

on strong to heavy laid paper with various watermarks, especially with the large coat-of-arms mark along with the 2-lined tag “FAI / WANGEN” (not in Heawood) as frequently used by Ridinger. – With the inevitable exception of the larger sized plan engraving moreover of fine widemarginess of 4-7.5 cm above + below and 3.5-4.5 cm on the sides (leafsize 31 x 22 cm). Coming along with this

the  practically  uniform  snow-white  freshness ,

in regard of which isolated small deviations must not be mentioned necessarily. But, however, though scarcely recognizable, the professionelly healed larger tear in the white upper margin of the slightly shorter title leaf with a hardly impairing faded short pre-owner’s name. Equally settled furthermore a really small tear in the white upper margin of plate 22 and the tear of 4 cm reaching up to the image margin in the left lateral margin of plate 23. – First and last leaves with slight pressure traces in the white margin caused by the clasps’ nails.

The rich tooling of the boards determined by a centre field of 19.5 x 11 cm shaped by lines and flower stamps, enclosed by 6-lined ornamental border that itself is limited to the outside by lines. The triple decorative stamp of the spine analogously to the letters gilt tooled. – Shortly, round about a

showcase  copy

of one of the “last works still done by (Ridinger) himself alone”, “drawn from nature … with the help of a friend very skillfull and experienced in horsemanship” as, as far as were known to him,

“ no  work  of  this  kind

(were) published yet … Thus one might call (this) … in regard of its designs one of the most exhaustive as no writer became known to me yet who has dealt so specially on this. ”
Offer no. 28,418  /  price on request

Single  sheets  from  this  set  available  here

„ Vielen Dank, und sollten Sie wieder einmal einen ‚(William) Blake‘ in Ihrem Sortiment haben, waere ich fuer eine kurze e-mail dankbar “

(Mr. U. S., 23. Januar 2002)