ITALIAN WEDDING CANTATA, 1776, IN LOVELY CONTEMPORARY EMBROIDERED SILK BINDING

(OPERA). La Vera Costanza. Cantata per Musica a Tre Voci. (Gallipoli): no publisher, (1776). Octavo, contemporary full green embroidered silk richly decorated with crown and bucolic scene in silver and gold threads, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; pp. 23. $3200.

First edition of the libretto to this cantata in three voices, composed and performed to celebrate an 18th-century Italian wedding, richly and beautifully bound in green embroidered silk.

This cantata was composed to be sung at the wedding of Niccola Doxi-Stracca of Gallipoli and Francesca Storti of Napoli. This highly decorative and unusual style of binding reached the height of its popularity in the first half of the 17th century and is only infrequently found on books from later periods. Text in Italian.

Faint dampstain along lower edge of front cover and small portion of rear. Silver-gilt thread slightly darkened. Still a lovely, very finely bound copy in excellent condition.