[Rarebooks] FS: The First Book on Tattoos & Body Mutilation, 1653, with 174 Woodcuts, price reduced

[Charles Agvent]

Price reduced to $6000 NET

B., J. [BULWER, John]. ANTHROPOMETAMORPHOSIS: MAN TRANSFORM'D : OR, THE 
ARTIFICIALL CHANGLING HISTORICALLY PRESENTED IN THE MAD AND CRUELL 
GALLANTRY, FOOLISH BRAVERY, RIDICULOUS BEAUTY, FILTHY FINENESSE, AND 
LOATHSOME LOVELINESS OF MOST NATIONS, FASHIONING AND ALTERING THEIR 
BODIES FROM THE MOLD INTENDED BY NATURE; WITH FIGURES OF THOSE 
TRANSFIGURATIONS. TO WHICH ARTIFICIALL AND AFFECTED DEFORMATIONS ARE 
ADDED, ALL THE NATIVE AND NATIONALL MONSTROSITIES THAT HAVE APPEARED TO 
DISFIGURE THE HUMANE FABRICK. WITH A VINDICATION OF THE REGULAR BEAUTY 
AND HONESTY OF NATURE. AND AN APPENDIX OF THE PEDIGREE OF THE ENGLISH 
GALLANT. London: William Hunt, 1653. Second Edition. Quarto (5-1/2" x 
7-1/4") bound in early calf with a recent calf spine; [50 (of 52)], 559, 
[31] pages. Lacks the frontispiece, as in the Wing copy (B5461), leaf A1 
(The Intent of the Frontispiece), and the portrait. The Table leaf is 
bound with the extra leaf containing 3 woodcuts between S2 and S3. 
Illustrated with 174 woodcuts in the text. Pforzheimer 115: "The subject 
and abundant illustrations of this volume make it a desideratum in any 
collection of curiosa, for it describes and illustrates every 
conceivable alteration of the human body by man's design or by nature 
and is of equal interest to the anthropologist and the student of human 
credulity"; Welcome I, 270. Considered to be THE EARLIEST BOOK ON THE 
ART OF THE TATTOO AND OTHER FORMS OF BODY MUTILATION as well as one of 
the first studies in comparative cultural anthropology. It is a 
combination of fiction and fact, ancient and modern, brought back to 
England by early world travelers. The First Edition of 1650 was smaller 
(a duodecimo) and not illustrated. Very Good copy of a most interesting 
title.
Bulwer is best known today for his work in educating the deaf and his 
advocacy for an educational institution he called "The Dumbe mans 
academie." He was the first person in Britain to discuss the possibility 
of educating deaf people. (#012399)        $7,500.00

https://www.charlesagvent.com/shop/agvent/012399.html

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