The Bibliographical Decameron; Or, Ten Days Pleasant Discourse Upon Illuminated Manuscripts, And Subjects Connected With Early Engraving, Typography, And Bibliography.

3 Volumes. 8vo. pp. 3 p.l., vi, [1 leaf]errata, ccxxv, 410, [1 leaf]colophon; 2 p.l., 44, [1 leaf], 45-535, [1 leaf]errata; 2 p.l., 544, [2 leaves]errata & colophon. with half-titles. 37 engraved & woodcut plates (1 double-page). numerous engravings & woodcuts in the text (incl. 36 prints on india paper, mounted). later full red morocco by F.Bedford, gilt-tooled spines & inside dentelles, top edge gilt, others untrimmed (Vols. I-II front covers detached & rear joints cracked, rear cover of Vol. III stained, intermittent foxing). First Edition. The Bibliographical Decameron, written in the same dialogue manner and with the same interlocutors as the Bibliomania, "is perhaps the most lavish of all Dibdin’s works and, especially in the Large Paper copies, the best printed…Its publication was a financial success and doubtless marks the high-water mark of the Dibdinian bibliomania." (Windle & Pippin) Dibdin destroyed the plates for the book at a meeting of the Roxburgh Club. "This work forms one of the monuments of typographical bibliography. As in the style of its production it is the most sumptuous, so in the nature of its contents it may be said to be one of the most interesting books relative to ancient and modern printing" (Bigmore & Wyman). The estimated number of copies printed of this regular paper issue ranges from 750 to 900 plus 50 on large paper. As usual this set is without the rare ninth plate listed by Windle in Vol. I, which was not ready at the time of publication and occurs in only a few copies. Bigmore & Wyman pp. 169-170. Jackson 40. Windle & Pippin A28.…