The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David. Oxford: John Baskett, 1719. [Together with] The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues: And with the former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. Oxford: John Baskett, 1723. [Together with] The Whole Book of Psalms: Collected into English Metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others… London: T. Wood and S. Palmer, 1723, large 4to, a.e.g.
A MAGNIFICENT JOHN BASKETT QUARTO BIBLE IN A CONTEMPORARY FINE RED MOROCCO BINDING, FINELY RED-RULED THROUGHOUT.
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A very large quarto format, almost folio in size, of this magnificent edition of the King James Bible, finely printed by John Baskett, the finest English Bible printer of this time period. The red-ruling throughout is of notably high quality, as is the contemporary red morocco binding, indicating that this Bible originally belonged to a wealthy, probably aristocratic, English patron.
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Provenance:
Old ownership inscription (c.1800?) of George Petter to front pastedown.
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Size: 235 x 295 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), a8, A-H8; A2, A-Z8, 2A1-2, [*2A3-4], 2A3-8, 2B-2Z8, 3A-3P8, 3Q4, *3Q4, 3R-3Z8, 4A-4H8, 4I2, [a]-[c]4, [d]3, [e]1, (1); A-G4, (2)].
Contemporary English full red morocco, finely tooled in gilt with a panelled design; all edges gilt. The binding shows rubbing and shelf wear with minor loss of leather, yet remains very attractive indeed. Both boards are firmly attached. The joints have been reinforced with red leather and resewn underneath, repairs that appear to date from the 19th century, with matching restoration to the corners.
The text block is occasionally unevenly trimmed, though without any loss of text; this appears to be contemporary, as the red ruling accommodates the trimming. Internally, the volume is exceptionally bright and clean throughout, and remarkably well preserved. Each section collates as complete, comprising the full text of the Book of Common Prayer, Bible, Tables, and Book of Psalms.
The title leaf of the Book of Common Prayer is ragged and creased, with areas of loss and an illegible contemporary inscription at the head dated 1745. A further inscription, also dated 1745 and reading “Mary Gird,” appears on the rear endpaper. The leaves of the first three quires show minor edge or corner losses. The [c] gathering (the Tables at the end of the Bible text) is misbound, but all its leaves are present.
A genuinely beautiful Baskett King James Bible.
