1. Boccaccio, Giovanni / [Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari].

L’amorosa fiammetta di M. Giovanni Boccaccio, di Nuovo Corretta et Ristampata, con La Tavola et le Postille delle cose Piu Notabili.

Venetia, Appresso I Gioliti, 1584. 9.5 cm x 15.4 cm. 107, [1] pages including illustrated titlepage with Giolito’s printer mark and Giolito’s stunning colophon of Phoenix rising from the ashes and the Motto: “Semper eadem” (″Always the same”). Hardcover in custom – made solanderbox. Recently rebound in half-leather with marbled paper-covered-boards. The bookblock in very good condition with some minor, contemporary inkstains. Name of preowner “Exlibris Bernard Rielliae [″Bernard Reilly”] in contemporary ink (16th or 17th century entry). Small lesion to titlepage and first three pages only. Very faint, faded dampstain to the outer margins of a few pages.

2. Anonymus [Giovanni Tegrimi, Lucchese].

Rime Scelte di Diversi Autori Antichi, e Moderni. Tradotte in Lingua Latina da N.N. Con un’ Elegia in fine del medesimo Autore.

Lucca, Sebastiano ed Angelo Cappuri, 1745. Small Octavo. 235 pages. Original Hardcover. Very good in full vellum and raised bands on the spine.

3. [Tasso, Torquato] / Hoole, John.

Jerusalem Delivered; an Heroic Poem. [Large / Better Paper Edition of “Gerusalemme liberata”]. Translated from the Italian of Torquato Tasso, by John Hoole. [Including a biographical account “Life of Tasso”]

The Eighth Edition – With Notes. In Two Volumes. [Two Volumes bound in one]. London, T.Bensley, Bolt Court, Fleet Street, 1803. Quarto (22 cm x 28 cm). Frontispiece, XLVII, 339, [3], 335 pages plus 44 unnumbered pages of a thorough Index. Illustrated with thirteen (13) beautiful copper engravings (plus the Frontispiece). Hardcover / Stunning, modern half leather with new boards, preserving the original spine. With gilt lettering and ornament, bound to style of the 18th/19th century by an english masterbinder. Excellent condition. With some occasionall foxing. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown.

4. De Rossi, Giovanni Gherardo / [Giovan Gherardo de Rossi].

Commedie.

[Seconda Edizione]. 4 Volumes in 2 (complete set). Prato, Fratelli Giachetti, 1826. Octavo. Tomo Primo: XIX, 291, [1] pages / Tomo Secondo: 314, [2] pages / Tomo Terzo: 328, [2] pages / Tomo Quattro: 251, [1] pages. Original, wonderful and decorative vellum bindings. With new spinelabels. Very Rare, original edition of the second edition of de Rossi’s comedies.

5. Pellico, Silvio.

Opere Complete. Con le Addizioni di P. Maroncelli.

Napoli, Franc. Rossi, 1848. 14.3 cm x 22 cm. XXI, 529 pages. Original Hardcover with marbled boards. Good+ condition with only minor signs of external wear. Spine shedding, rubbed and separated from book block. Corners rubbed. Heavy foxing to edges. Minor foxing to pastedowns, endpapers and to pages throughout. From the reference library of Hans Christian Andersen-Translator Erik Haugaard.

6. Carducci, Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe.

Studi Saggi E Discorsi.

Bologna, DItta Nicola Zanichelli, 1898. 19.5cm x 12.2cm. 421 (7) pages. Original Hardcover. Spine missing. Some pages professionally restored. Otherwise in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear.

7. [Anonymous] Dante Alighieri / Cockerell, Douglas / North, John William / Ashendene Press Circle /

[La Divina Commedia / The Divine Comedy – Manoscritto dell’inizio del XX secolo della Divina Commedia di Dante – con strofe manoscritte da “L’Inferno / Inferno” – “Purgatorio” – “Il Paradiso / Paradiso”] – The Manuscript is titled: “Pictures Illustrating The Pilgrimage of the Divine Poet Through The Realms of Punishment of Penance and Peace” – Illuminated Devotional Manuscript of section of “L’Inferno / Inferno” – “Purgatorio” – “Il Paradiso / Paradiso” – with excerpts of Dante’s Divina Comedia, in the style of medieval illuminated manuscripts. The manuscript is a strictly themed Dante Devotion and is of magical quality if one considers the fantastic, original calligraphy artwork, the composition of the manuscript and the coded meaning to the composer of this manuscript. The Folio – size manuscript is massive and has 216 pages, of which 109 pages are with illuminated, original watercolour-paintings in the style of the medieval masters, sometimes collages with watercolour and original etchings, engravings etc. The miniature paintings are juxtaposed with 105 vintage 19th century photographs of famous Italian Art – pieces that are somehow related to Dante’s world or have an allegorical assoziation. Besides the early photographs other juxtaposed artwork or integrated artwork to the illuminations are: an original watercolour depicting the dying Dante, a sensational copper-engraving, depicting an allegorical Dante-scenario, possibly referring to the Divine Comedy, a small photograph of the famous Michelino Fresco encapsulated in one of the illuminations, an artprint attributed “Burne-Jones”, two lithographs, a large steel-engraving, a smaller steel-engraving. Most of the photographs show allegorical sculpture or art by famous italian artists like Giotto, Carpaccio, Andrea Castagna, Luca delkla Robbia, Bellini, Titian, Dosso Dossi, Orgagna, Andrea del Sarto, Fra Angelico, Paul Veronese, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bonifazio, Neri dei Bicci, Francesco Traini, Benozo Gozzoli, etc. etc. and other juxtaposed refer in code to Dante’s Divina Comedia or even depict himself in artform. The photographs also include some breathtaking 19th century Albumen prints of Verona, Lake Garda, Mantua and other Italian landscapes.

England, [Douglas Cockerell / John William North], no year [c.1910]. Folio (34 cm wide x 42.5 cm high). 216 pages. Hardcover / Binding in full green morocco with lettering and Dante’s head as bronze sculpture per inlet to front cover. Binding by Douglas Cockerell, signed “WHS”, during his directorship of W.H.Smith & Son (1905 – 1914). The manuscript is on excellent paper, watermarked O.W.P. & A.C.L. [O.W. Paper & Arts Co. Ltd., established by English painter John William North (1842-1924) in 1895]. The binding rubbed and with some small damages, in need of some minor restoration but overall still very good. The interior, the paper and the artwork all in excellent condition besides one of the juxtaposed photographs (Filippina Lippo) removed from the manuscript with some residue of the photograph remaining and some of the photographs with some dogears and minimal discoloration. All the original artwork in spectacular and fresh condition. The manuscript is a spectacular find and the quality of its execution is of utmost interest for any lover of rare books, manuscripts and special bindings. The circle of Douglas Cockerell, his involvement in one of the most beautiful books ever printed: the Ashendene Press Dante, as well as Cockerell being the binder of this unique manuscript, the fantastic paper used for the manuscript by one of the idyllist movement’s central figures, John William North, and the wonderful Dante – theme of the manuscript with illuminated poetry from the Divine Comedy and the unique style of collage art, lets us rightfully dream that the anonymous composer of the manuscript was an important or at least peripheral member to either the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Ashendene Press or it was someone who worked in the style of the calligraphy schools that were inspired by William Morris or even earlier epigones like Owen Jones.

8. Fogazzaro, Antonio.

Discorsi.

Primera Edizione. Milano, Baldini & Castoldi, 1912. 12.5 cm x 18 cm. VIII, 308 pages. Original hardcover. Excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear.

9. Shelley, P.B.

Poesie. Translated into Italian by Roberto Ascoli.

Terza edizione riveduta e accresciuta. Milano, Fratelli Treves, Editori, 1921. 22cm x 15.7cm. XXIV, 120 pages. Hardcover / Contemporary vellum with beautiful, paper covered boards, gilt ornaments and gilt lettering on spine label. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Exlibris / Bookplate of Marion Reilly on pastedown.

10. Goldoni, Carlo / Aldington, Richard.

The Good-Humoured Ladies: A Comedy. By Carlo Goldoni. Translated from the Italian by Richard Aldington. To which is prefix’d an Essay on Carlo Goldoni by Arthur Symons. The whole embellish’d with Cuts by Ethelbert White.

London, C.W.Beaumont, 1922. 8°. XXIII, 76 pages. Original Hardcover / Quarter vellum with decorative paper-covered boards. The boards slightly bumped. The vellum spine in excellent condition. No.16 of only 75 copies printed. Signed by Arthur Symons, Ethelbert White and Richard Aldington. [The fifteenth book issued by the Beaumont Press].