Decamerone ouer Cento nouelle. Venice, Bartolomeo de' Zanni, 1504.

Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375. Decamerone ouer Cento nouelle. f†. Venice, Bartolomeo de' Zanni, July 5, 1504. *IC.B6308D. 1552, Department of Rare Books, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library.

28.5 x 19.5 cm. Diced calf, blind-stamped, gilt on spine, from the library of conte Gaetano Melzi. (Gift of Curt H. Reisinger.)

Bibliographical description of edition

Title in two lines only, without ornamentation. Woodcut, 105 x 121 mm., at the head of the "prima giornata" showing Boccaccio's company of seven women and three men seated in a garden for the telling of the tales. The figures are labelled on the block. Another woodcut of the same company, 104 x 157 mm., is placed at the head of the text for the second day and repeated for each subsequent day. This cut is in two compartments. On the left, the center figure holds a lute. On the right, the center figure wears a wreath and is seated before a fountain. Ninety-seven small woodcuts (including two repetitions), approximately 57 x 73 mm. Thirteen of these blocks are signed "b". One of the repetitions is the block of the author writing, which appears at the beginning of the volume with the "Vita" of Boccaccio and at the end before the "Excusatione delo auctore" (leaves aa4v, xx4v). [...] [B]oth large blocks and all of the small blocks are from the set designed for the Venice, Giovanni and Gregorio de' Gregori, edition of 1492, the first illustrated edition printed in Italy. The small blocks are specific scenes from the tales, many with figures labelled on the block. [...] The large block repeated at the head of each day is a copy of the two-compartment block; the garden scene is omitted. [...] Small initials, white on black. Zanni's orb and cross device, white on black [...] on leaf xx5v. Roman letter, two columns.

First Zanni edition. The "Vita de Giouan Bocchaccio da Certaldo" on leaves aa4v-aa5r is by Girolamo Squarciafico.

(Italian 16th century books, v. 1, pp. 95-96)


Images

Note: in the following bibliographical descriptions, the long 's' is represented by an italic f (f). Where confusion may arise between 's' and 'f', the word has been transcribed in square brackets.

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[Page aaiiiib] (p. 4v). Life of Boccaccio: Page headed VITA; verso column: Woodcut of Boccaccio writing, with various books around him. Subtitle: 'Vita de Giouan Bocchaccio da Certaldo'; Illuminated initial capital I.

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[Page aavb] (p. 5v). Day I title page. Page headed PRIMA GIORNATA. Large woodcut of brigata seated in garden; meeting in Santa Maria Novella shown in upper left-hand corner of image; Left hand column: Illuminated initial capital H.

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Page 9r (bbiiia). Day I title page. Page headed PRIMA GIORNATA; verso column: small illuminated capitals N, C, C; recto column: Woodcut of Ser Ciappelletto, entitled 'Nouella di Éer Ciapelletto.'; small illuminated capital R; signed 'bb iii' at bottom right.

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Page 16v (ciiiib). Day II Title page. Page headed SECONDA GIORNATA; Page divided into two by woodcut: text above woodcut end of Day I; text below beginning of Day II; upper portion of page verso column: small illuminated capital I (introduces Emilia's song 'Io sono si vagga'). Upper portion of page recto column: small illuminated capital N (continues the ballata); small illuminated capital Q, showing man's head (indicates authorial voice in frame story). Woodcut of brigata in two parts: left hand frame shows man playing lute; right hand frame shows brigata seated around male King. Lower portion of page verso column: small illuminated capital G; lower portion of page recto column: small illuminated capital S.

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Page 44v (hhiib). Page headed TERTIA GIORNATA; verso column: small illuminated capital V; Woodcut of story of Ferondo, showing his wife confessing to the abbot at left and Ferondo emerging from tomb at right; subtitle underneath image: 'Nouella de Ferundo.'; small illuminated capital F, showing bearded man in profile.

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Page 57r (kkiiia). Page headed QVARTA GIORNATA; verso column: small illuminated capital P; Woodcut showing Simona and Pasquino lying poisoned; subtitle underneath image: 'Nouella di Simona e di PaÉquino.'; small illuminated capital F; signed 'kk iii' at bottom right.

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p. 57v (kkiiib). Page headed QVARTA GIORNATA; verso column: small illuminated capital H; recto column: Woodcut in two frames of Girolamo and Silvestra; subtitle underneath image: 'Nouella de Girolamo e de Siluestra.'; small illuminated capital F.

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p. 72v (mmvib). Day VI title page. Page headed QVINTA GIORNATA; upper portion of page above woodcut contains the text of the frame story conclusion to Day V; area beneath woodcut is the beginning of Day VI; Upper portion of page recto column: small illuminated capital A (marking the first strophe of the ballata 'Amor la vagha luce'; small illuminated capital C (continues stanza, 'Che prima la firma tua' [compare with text of critical edition: 'Che pria la fiamma tua']; small illuminated capital C (second stanza 'CoÉi de toi); small illuminated capital P (third stanza, 'Perche io ti pgo'); small illuminated capital D, showing man's head (indicates authorial voice in frame story). Woodcut of brigata (diptych). Lower portion of page, verso column, small illuminated capital H (beginning Day VI frame story). Note the large number of typographical contractions and abbreviations on this page.

All images are reproduced with the permission of the Houghton Library of the Harvard College Library.