Size: All sheets measure 42.5 27.5 cm (17 x 11 inches), and the platemarks 233 x 206 mm ( 9 x 8 inches).

Condition: All prints are excellent impressions, a few minor short tears and creases to some margins, some very minor spotting, none affecting the images themselves.  

23 plates from a series of 30 numbered plates, all from the same volume with thread holes on the left hand short margin.  The plates not present are 7, 8, 21, 23, 24, 25  and 26. The prints are from the second state edition of Antonio Salamanca, with his imprint, except that plate 1 has Salamanca's mark erased and instead is engraved "sup: lic:" . There appear to be no other differences between these prints and Salamanca's edition.  The paper (for all the prints) has a watermark of P M with F below and a crown above which appears to be French paper and suggesting a printing date of 1680-1730. Plate 1 does not have the publisher's imprint of Matteo Gregorio Rossi (1638-1702), so this collection predates his, and this confirms an approximate date of 1680. The impressions are very good, which would also confirm this relatively early date. The first issue of these prints had 32 plates - it appears this printing only ever had 30, and plates 9 to 20 and 27 to 30 are numbered 10-21 and 28-31 in a later printing in the Royal Collection Trust. The prints depict  episodes from Apuleius' Story of Cupid and Psyche, all of which were engraved by the Master of the Die with the exception of three by Agostino Veneziano. Formerly thought to have been designed by Raphael, the engravings are now reputed to be based on Raphael-inspired drawings, probably Italian. The Master of the Die has not been identified with certainty. The Italian verses accompanying the plates is taken from the translation of Apuleius' works published by Boiardo in 1516.