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Carlo Antonini was a designer, copperplate engraver and architect who flourished during the last quarter of the 18th century through the first quarter of the 19th century. He worked in Rome and in Modena, producing two great collections of copperplate engravings of ornaments. The first work was Manuale di vari Ornamenti, tratti dall Fabbriche e Frammenti Antichi, per uso e commodo de’ pittori, scultori, architetti, scarpellini, stuccatori, &. published in Rome in four parts in 1781-1790. The first two parts of this work were devoted to rosettes--100 plates--which appeared on exterior and interior Italian Renaissance houses and palaces. The format of each plate shows the face of the rosette and at the bottom of the plate is the profile of the rosette. The location of the rosette from the specific villa or palace is indicated below the image. All of the 100 rosettes except one are circular in pattern, with beautiful acanthus leaf designs in spirals, floral designs and, in some cases, in combination with figural images in the center. Only one plate is in the shape of a triangle.

This work is unique in presentation in comparison to any other published book on architectural ornaments and accounts for it’s rarity in the market.