The Decameron, or Ten Days Entertainment by Giovanni Boccaccio - 1822

The Decameron, or Ten Days Entertainment by Giovanni Boccaccio, Printed for William Sharp & Son, London, 1822, English, 4 Volume Set, Full Leather Hardbound, Accented with 22kt Gold on Spines, Covers and Paper Edges. Beautifully engraved illustrations at the beginning of each volume and scattered about each volume. Each book measures 5.5 inches X 3.5 inches. ---- Very Good Antiquarian Condition. The books are securely bound. Some minor signs of visual wear. Light rubbing and surface wear to the outer boards. An old age spot on volume 2. No inner page rips. No inner page edge chipping. An elegant owners signature from 1849 on the front blank end-pages. Some light foxing, fading and age spots throughout. Antique book plates on volumes 1 & 4. Typical wear for books of this age, but overall in excellent antique condition. Please review pictures for greater detail. Questions welcome. ---- The Decameron is a collection of novellas by the 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375). The book is structured as a frame story containing 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city. Boccaccio probably conceived of The Decameron after the epidemic of 1348, and completed it by 1353. The various 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 (for example on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales), 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.