Case 7
- Morocco Bindings 1
The Book of Common Prayer. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1781.
The term ‘morocco binding’ refers especially to tanned and polished goatskin used for good-quality bookbinding. It was first produced by the Arabs of North Africa around the eleventh century. The exotic orange, green, blue, and deep red skins were first imported into Naples in the sixteenth century and became immediately fashionable in Italy, followed later by France, then England.
This eighteenth century Book of Common Prayer is bound in contemporary red morocco with Greek-key gilt ornament around the perimeters of the front and back boards, with the initials ‘JHS’ stamped at centre within sunburst concentric ovals.
Henry Hart Milman. The fall of Jerusalem: a dramatic poem. New edition. London: John Murray, 1821.
This copy of Milman’s Fall of Jerusalem is bound in gold-tooled green morocco. Although not visible here, it also contains a fore-edge painting, depicting Jerusalem. The water-colour image is painted on the fanned-out edge of the book, and when the painting has dried, the edges are gilded or marbled so that the closed book shows no trace of the original painting.
Henry Hart Milman. The fall of Jerusalem: a dramatic poem. New edition. London: John Murray, 1821.
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Henry Hart Milman. The fall of Jerusalem: a dramatic poem. New edition. London: John Murray, 1821.
This copy of Milman’s Fall of Jerusalem is bound in gold-tooled green morocco. Although not visible here, it also contains a fore-edge painting, depicting Jerusalem. The water-colour image is painted on the fanned-out edge of the book, and when the painting has dried, the edges are gilded or marbled so that the closed book shows no trace of the original painting.
Henry Hart Milman. The fall of Jerusalem: a dramatic poem. New edition. London: John Murray, 1821.
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Bos. Pickwick in America. London: E. Lloyd, 1838.
Pickwick in America is an imitation of Pickwick papers of uncertain authorship issued in weekly numbers from February to December, 1838.
This copy has been half-bound from the parts by Zaehnsdorf in dark green morocco with green cloth. Half-binding means the spine and corners are bound in one material (morocco leather) and the remainder of the cover in another (cloth).
The whole Book of Psalms, collected into English metre. London: Printed by J. Roberts, for the Company of Stationers, 1749.
This eighteenth century English Psalm book is bound in nineteenth century red morocco with gilt ornamental rules around the perimeters of both boards; corners and centre panels stamped in gilt; spine gilt-ruled and stamped, with red morocco label; all edges gilt. It contains the early nineteenth century armorial bookplate of the Earl of Ilchester, presumably Henry Fox-Strangways, 3rd Earl of Ilchester (1787-1858).
The whole Book of Psalms, collected into English metre. London: Printed by J. Roberts, for the Company of Stationers, 1749.
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![Hablot Knight Brown. Illustrations to Dombey and Son. [1909?]](https://www.reedgallery.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0016/601144/7e.jpg)
Hablot Knight Brown. Illustrations to Dombey and Son. [1909?]
Compiled by C.E. Stewart, this unique volume comprises plates from two publications containing portraits of characters from Dickens’ Dombey and Son. It has been bound by Riviere & Son in green morocco, gold-tooled with a picture of Florence and Alice inlaid with morocco of various colours, within an oval frame on the cover.
