Beschreibung:

Bindings. [The Divine Comedy], by Dante Alighieri, 2 volumes (of 3): The Purgatorio of Dante Alighieri, and The Paradiso of Dante Alighieri, J. M. Dent and Co., 1904, from the Temple Classics series, half-titles and titles printed in red & black, frontispiece to each volume, gilt floral endpapers, contemporary Florentine style painted vellum, the front covers with decorative initials and designs painted in red, green, pink, blue and yellow, heightened with gold, the spines with painted manuscript titles, somewhat dust-soiled, extremities rubbed, Purgatorio with small loss to foot of spine, Paradiso front joint cracked with short tear to spine covering, 12mo in 8s, together with: The Spirit of Anecdote and Wit, by John Seward, 4 volumes, London: Walker and Co., 1823, engraved portrait frontispiece to each volume, variable spotting and toning, each front pastedown with book ticket, most hinges cracked after/before endpapers, binding to 3rd volume nearly detached at rear hinge, all edges gilt, contemporary straight-grained red morocco gilt, extremities rubbed, some scuffs and mottling to covers, 12mo in 6s, with 2 others (Qty: 14) First item: The 'Florentine style' of painted vellum bindings was created in the late 19th century by the Giannini family, who produced a range of beautifully decorated books for the art-loving English community. Other local binders quickly followed suit, and these volumes from Dante's Divine Comedy closely follow the Giannini style.