AUTHOR: GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO

LANGUAGE: FRENCH

DATE: 1401-1500

PAGE #: 810

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE DECAMERON, ALSO KNOWN AS PRINCE GALEHAUT, IS A COLLECTION OF STORIES BY THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY ITALIAN AUTHOR GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO, 1313-1375. THE BOOK IS STRUCTURES AS A FRAME STORY CONTAINING ONE HUNDRED TALES TOLD BY A GROUP OF SEVEN YOUNG WOMEN AND THREE YOUNG MEN; THEY SHELTER IN A SECLUDED VILLA JUST OUTSIDE FLORENCE IN ORDER TO ESCAPE THE BLACK DEATH, WHICH WAS AFFLICTING THE CITY. BOCCACCIO PROBABLY CONCEIVED THE DECAMERON AFTER THE EPIDEMIC OF 1348 AND COMPLETED IT BY 1353. THE VARIEOUS TALES OF LOVE IN THE DECAMERON RANGE FROM THE EROTIC TO THE TRAGIC. TALES OF WIT, PRACTICAL JOKES, AND LIFE LESSONS CONTRIBUTE TO THE MOSAIC. IN ADDITION TO ITS LITERARY VALUE AND WIDESPREAD INFLUENCE IT PROVIDES A DOCUMENT OF LIFE AT THE TIME. WRITTEN IN THE VERNACULAR OF THE FLORENTINE LANGUAGE, IT IS CONSIDERED A MASTERPIECE OF CLASSICAL EARLY ITALIAN PROSE. THE DECAMERON HAS SINCE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO SEVERAL LANGUAGES WITH THE FIRST TWO LANGUAGES BEING LATIN AND FRENCH. THIS COPY IS THE VERSION THAT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED BY LAURENT DE PREMIERFAIR IN THE EARLY FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.