Ringhieri - Cento Giuochi Liberali - 1551

This is a scarce 16th century book.  First edition, dedicated to Catherine de' Medici, of a collection of intellectual games which amused the Italian aristocracy in the mid sixteenth century.  The book consists of one hundred games, many of considerable complexity.  Each game has an elaborate introduction and rules of great ingenuity.  One of the last games is Chess, in which the players are attired to represent the pieces on the chessboard.