Cantico delle Creature [Canticle of the Creatures]

Perugia: Xilocart, 1988. Limited Edition. Wraps. Near fine. Leboroni, Mariaelisa. One of 180 copies, oblong quarto size, 5 text pp. and 7 woodcuts, signed by the artist/printer, text in Italian. Saint Francis of Assisi (ca. 1181-1226) is almost synonymous with the love of animals and the earth, and his "Canticle of the Creatures" has been sung for centuries.

This a lovely publication of the "Canticle" with five full-page woodcuts (plus smaller cuts on the title page and colophon) done by Mariaelisa Leboroni, an Italian artist who publishes her work under the imprint of "Xilocart". Per her web site: "Perhaps more than for the sense of history conveyed by Mariaelisa's books, people love her work for its whimsy. Contented frogs, cheerful cityscapes, smiling suns, and simple pictures of trees in autumn grace the covers of her books, all in lovely color combinations. Because each print is handmade and one-of-a-kind, no two books will have exactly the same image..."

A stunningly lovely publication of this beloved canticle by a contemporary Italian artist. Scarce in the marketplace, as of this writing we see no other copies online.

___DESCRIPTION: String-bound in tan hand-made paper wraps which are untrimmed with yapped edges, the front with the title and a small woodcut illustration, a total of ten leaves containing seven pages (if one includes the title page and colophon) of original woodcuts printed on the recto only, the first cut signed by Leboroni in pencil; on Amalfi handmade paper, oblong quarto size (11" wide by 8 1/8" tall), five pp. of text, all in Italian, this no. 143 of the 180 copies.

___CONDITION: Near fine, the wraps clean, the string binding strong, the interior is clean and bright, the coloured illustrations deep and rich, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some miniscule wear at the tail of the spine and exceedingly minor wear to the yapped edges, else fine.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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