The Holy Bible. Published by R. Bowyer, Historic Gallery, Pall Mall, London, 1796, 8vo, a.e.g.
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An incredibly beautifully bound King James Bible printed in 1796 with oddly concise title pages for the King James Version. The O.T. title page is illustrated with the two tablets of Moses and the N.T. title page with a dove above a globe. Both boards have a depiction of a Lamb grasping a crucifix within a flaming oval with floral motifs to the intricate borders in gilt, the turn-ins with repeating lunettes as typical for the period. The page edges are all in gilt and have a repeating blindstamped floral design circumscribed by a symmetrical four pointed cross which follows the same design as in the compartments of the spine. The spine has the same repeating lunette motif of the turn-ins at its extremities with further floral motifs through the compartments, with 'BIBLE' tooled in gilt to the usual compartment.
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Size: 110 x 170 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[t.p., A1-3K6]
Beautiful contemporary (or near) full red leather binding finely tooled in gilt to both boards, spine, and turn-ins. Spine uniformly sunned but remains highly attractive. Slightly rubbed at the extremities and very lightly within compartments of the spine. Both boards securely attached, the binding secure and without shelf lean. Shelf and edge wear as typical. Top page edge dulled as typical, else edges very good or better. Page edges slightly non-uniform in one place at the NT title page location, but this is not disbound and is securely attached in the gutter. Collated as complete through all sections with the pagination running consecutively through the OT and NT. This edition of the KJV is bound without the Apocrypha and so the OT ends with Malachi. Final two leaves of the NT (Revelation) with a slight gutter split but with all leaves securely attached in the binding.
