Manual del Baratero, ó Arte de Manejar la Navaja . .
- Madrid: Imprenta de D. Alberto Goya, 1849
Madrid: Imprenta de D. Alberto Goya, 1849. Very good. 6½" x 4½". Stitched wrappers in contemporary full leather, gilt banded spine. Pp. 54. Very good: minor wear to edges and spine tips; stamp of former ownership to one page, worn to illegibility, and tiny tear to top of one leaf, neither approaching text; lightly foxed.
This is the uncommon first edition of a book considered to be the oldest manual ever published on the art of Spanish knife fighting.
The work was first published anonymously in 1849, with "el prologo" citing only the author's initials, "MdR." He has since been identified as Mariano de Rementeria, a teacher at Madrid's Normal School of Primary Instruction and author of manuals in several other fields. One source noted that this was the only work he kept anonymous, likely to not have his name "associated with street and criminal disciplines."
The full title translates to "the Art of Handling the Razor, the Knife and the Scissors of the Gypsies." A "Baratero" was one associated with gambling, typically extorting from the winners. The book focused on the use of "la navaja," the infamous folding knife favored by the underbelly of society in 19th century Spain. Rich with illustrations, it instructs on the handling of this and other edged weapons, and is divided into four parts. The first covered "the mechanism of the weapon and the different positions," while the second centered on "the method of attacking the opponent," including "various moves executed and the tricks." Section three taught proper knife handling, and the fourth focused on using arms "among the gypsies." Within each lesson are detailed explanations and sketches of techniques, stances, strikes and defenses - as the author claimed, "to teach those honest and peaceful men who may find themselves unjustly attacked."
A fantastic illustrated manual, evoking the intrigue of 19th century Spain. The book has often been reprinted, including a version with art by Gustave Doré. OCLC shows five holdings of this first edition in the United States, and seven internationally.
This is the uncommon first edition of a book considered to be the oldest manual ever published on the art of Spanish knife fighting.
The work was first published anonymously in 1849, with "el prologo" citing only the author's initials, "MdR." He has since been identified as Mariano de Rementeria, a teacher at Madrid's Normal School of Primary Instruction and author of manuals in several other fields. One source noted that this was the only work he kept anonymous, likely to not have his name "associated with street and criminal disciplines."
The full title translates to "the Art of Handling the Razor, the Knife and the Scissors of the Gypsies." A "Baratero" was one associated with gambling, typically extorting from the winners. The book focused on the use of "la navaja," the infamous folding knife favored by the underbelly of society in 19th century Spain. Rich with illustrations, it instructs on the handling of this and other edged weapons, and is divided into four parts. The first covered "the mechanism of the weapon and the different positions," while the second centered on "the method of attacking the opponent," including "various moves executed and the tricks." Section three taught proper knife handling, and the fourth focused on using arms "among the gypsies." Within each lesson are detailed explanations and sketches of techniques, stances, strikes and defenses - as the author claimed, "to teach those honest and peaceful men who may find themselves unjustly attacked."
A fantastic illustrated manual, evoking the intrigue of 19th century Spain. The book has often been reprinted, including a version with art by Gustave Doré. OCLC shows five holdings of this first edition in the United States, and seven internationally.
Details
Title
Manual del Baratero, ó Arte de Manejar la Navaja . .
Condition
Very Good
Publisher
Imprenta de D. Alberto Goya: Madrid
Date
1849