1867 Antique New Testament Bible and Book of Common Prayer with Clasp, Gothic Leather Binding - Ref x752

1867 book of common prayer – oxford university press – ornate victorian gothic binding with angels, gilt edges & metal claspa striking victorian book of common prayer, printed at the oxford university press in 1867, preserved in an extraordinarily decorative period binding.small enough to be held in the hand, yet exceptionally elaborate in its execution, this volume has the character of a personal victorian devotional object rather than an ordinary nineteenth-century prayer book.the dark binding is deeply embossed with an architectural gothic design populated by crowned angels, with portions of the decoration picked out in gilt. the design has the appearance of medieval ecclesiastical ornament and gives this compact volume considerable visual presence.the page edges are richly gilt, creating a gold border around the text block when closed, while an ornate metal clasp survives at the fore-edge.the spine is simply and beautifully titled “church services” in gilt gothic lettering.printed at oxford in 1867the title page reads:the book of common prayerand administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church
according to the use of the united church of england and irelandtogether with the proper lessons for sundays and other holy-days and the new version of the psalms of david.oxford: printed at the university press
m.dccc.lxvii – 1867the volume also contains the new testament of our lord and saviour jesus christ, printed at oxford university press.victorian provenance – christmas 1869adding another layer to the history of this particular copy is an early handwritten inscription:“edward p—
his book
december 24
1869”the exact surname is difficult to decipher and is therefore intentionally not asserted here.dated christmas eve 1869, only two years after the book was printed, the inscription gives this volume a wonderful personal connection to victorian devotional life.rather than being an anonymous antique book, it has remained connected to one of its nineteenth-century owners for more than 150 years.contents includethe book of common prayer contains the traditional anglican liturgy, including morning prayer, evening prayer, the litany, holy communion, baptism, confirmation, matrimony, visitation of the sick, burial of the dead, psalter, articles of religion and other rites and prayers.the volume is accompanied by the new testament, making this an extensive compact victorian devotional book.detailsyear: 1867
period: victorian
title: the book of common prayer
printer: oxford university press
place of printing: oxford, england
additional contents: new testament
church: united church of england and ireland
binding: highly decorated dark period binding
decoration: gothic architectural design with crowned angels and gilt detailing
page edges: gilt
closure: ornate metal clasp
spine: gilt “church services” lettering
provenance: handwritten ownership inscription dated 24 december 1869
size: approx. 12.5 cm high × 8.2 cm wide × 3 cm deepconditionan authentic victorian devotional volume now approaching 160 years old, retaining considerable visual character.the binding displays age-related rubbing, marks and wear, with some loss and fading to the original gilt decoration. the gilt page edges remain clearly visible and attractive.the metal clasp hardware survives, although it displays age-related wear and should be considered part of the antique character of the volume rather than a modern functional fastening.internally there is expected age-related toning, occasional spotting, marks and evidence of historical handling. early manuscript inscriptions are present, including the particularly appealing ownership inscription dated 24 december 1869.please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.a remarkable victorian devotional objectwhat elevates this volume is the combination of its 1867 oxford printing, elaborate gothic angel binding, gilt decoration, gilt page edges, metal clasp and documented victorian ownership.it is an object that would have been designed not merely to contain the liturgy, but to be treasured.a distinctive addition to a collection of antique prayer books, victorian religious books, book of common prayer editions, oxford university press books, anglican history, gothic bindings or nineteenth-century christian devotional works.