Folger Shakespeare Library Bindings Image Collection

Spine, front cover, fore-edge, STC 2907.

An English embroidered dos-a-dos binding, ca. 1610. Embroidered white satin over pasteboards.

England

ca. 1610

STC 2907

Bible. N.T. English. Geneva-Tomson. The New Testament ...

London, Robert Barker, 1609.

http://shakespeare.…

Sternhold, Thomas, d. 1549.

The whole booke of Psalmes: collected into English meeter by T. Sternhold ...

London, For the Companie of Stationers, 1610.

http://shakespeare.…

Purchased in 1975 from Bernard Quaritch Ltd., London.

Both volumes sewn on three recessed alum-tawed thongs. Center board attached to both text blocks by being laced on at foreedge and joint. (This arrangement holds the two volumes in place.) Single endpaper with pastedowns. Edges gilt and gauffered with scraping. Headand tailbands sewn with blue and white linen thread over a paper core.

110 x 55 x 40 mm.

White satin embroidered with stylized roses framed with couched leaves outlined in silver gilt laid thread; all within a circular centerpiece of silver gilt purl. A frame of yellow and green silk thread sewn in a laid stitch surrounds the centerpiece. Background filled with stylized flowers sewn with a satin stitch and silver spangles. White and blue clouds(?) in couched and laid stitches with rays of silver gilt thread and wire are worked at head and tail of both upper and lower covers. Spines embroidered with stylized flowers in satin stitch and silver spangles framed with laid silver gilt thread. All three boards edged in silver gilt gimp.

Dos-à-dos bindings -- England -- 17th century.

Embroidered bindings -- England -- 17th century.

Gilt edges -- England -- 17th century.

Decorated edges -- England -- 17th century.

Gauffered edges -- England -- 17th century.

Cloth bindings -- England -- 17th century.

Folger 8:4 (Folger Shakespeare Library, Fine and historic bookbindings from the Folger Shakespeare Library, New York, 1992).