“THE MOST MAGNIFICENT BIBLE EVER PRODUCED IN ENGLAND”
John Baskett’s Vinegar Bible, published in 1716-1717, so named because of Baskett’s infamous errors throughout (“a Baskett-full of errors”), including the headline ‘the parable of the vinegar’ instead of the parable of the vineyard in Luke XX giving its famous name.
It is the origin of the term ‘basket case’, originally a Baskett case!
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John Baskett wished to produce an incredibly high quality Bible for use of the aristocracy in a very large folio edition which could be used as a status symbol for the elite. Baskett's masterpiece is generally acknowledged as the most magnificent Bible ever printed in England. It is adorned with numerous beautiful engraved head and tailpieces depicting Biblical scenes by the master Louis Cheron (1655-1725). His prints for the Baskett Vinegar Bible were among his most important and beautiful works as an illustrator, and reproductions of these prints are incredibly difficult to find.
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Both the O.T. and N.T. are in variant B, the much rarer variant of the two first edition variants, usually found in mixed states, this copy is just of variant B and thus highly desirable with all of Baskett's errors uncorrected, including the 'vinegar' misprint to Luke XX header as pictured.
