Prospetto del congresso tenuto da Tomiri con Ciro prima della Battaglia rappre[sentata] nella Piazza di S.a Croce a Firenze

EXTREMELY RARE PLATE

A Fantastic Florentine Spectacle: The Victory of the Persian Warrior-Queen Tomyris over Cyrus the Great of Persia

Engraving, 1772, not signed.

Good proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, a restored tear in the upper left corner, generally in good condition.

This engraving was folded in the pamphlet “LA VITTORIA DI TOMIRI REGINA DEI MASSAGETI riportata sopra di Ciro primo re di Persia battaglia da rappresentarsi in Firenze sulla piazza di S. Croce da un numero di circa 600. giovani cittadini in aggiunta alle grandiose feste solite farsi in questa città per la Natività del gloriosissimo protettore S. Giovanni Battista nel corrente anno 1772.” printed in Florenze”nella stamp. di S.A.R.” by Gaetano Cambiagi in 1772. A volume, quarto, 24 p, with this folding engraved plate.

A description of a spectacle staged at Florence in June and July 1772, on the occasion of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, the city's patron saint. The main event took the form of a mock battle in Piazza S. Croce with allegorical floats, horses, camels, and two armies made up of over 600 men in costumes designed by Francesco Mainero. The theme was the victory of the Persian warrior-queen Tomyris, ruler of the semi-nomadic Massagetae, over Cyrus the Great in 530 B.C.

The spectacle was performed on Sunday, the 28th of June and was repeated "for the satisfaction of the public and tourists" on July 2nd, 5th, and Sunday the 12th. In addition to the staged battle, there were "Giocchi di Bandiere" (elaborate dances involving banners and flags), and a horse race modeled on the Palio of Siena.

The folding engraved plate illustrates one of the crucial moments of the main spectacle: the two armies are deployed in the square, and Tomyris, having emerged from her golden tent, challenges Cyrus to battle. The plate also shows the magnificent structures created for the festivities. The square in front of the still-unfinished Santa Croce was transformed into an amphitheatre with three tiers of seats crowned by a colonade, pierced by four great gates, and festooned with brilliant tapestries. At the foot of the main scene are additional images of a camel, a mule, soldiers, and one of the intricate parade chariots.

Extremely rare: Only 2 copies worldwide recorded. One complete copy was in the collection of The Prince Piero Ginori Conti - Giannalisa Feltrinelli, now on sale in USA - Liber Antiquus.