This is the first edition of this in-depth, valuable, and unique study on the subject, of considerable interest also for its affinities with the gestures of dramatic art. The Neapolitan canon A. De Jorio was a profound expert on archaeology and the history of his native land and, in addition to the work presented here, authored numerous studies and guides, particularly on Pozzuoli, the city where he spent much of his life.
The first 16 plates depict popular scenes of extraordinary interest for their understanding of the mimicry and gestures so instinctive and familiar in Neapolitan verbal communication; the other 5 are line drawings and depict the gestures of ancient Greek figures, the various positions of the fingers in indicating numbers and particular expressive messages.