![Facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1913. RBF Gutenberg 1454 [1913]](https://www.reedgallery.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0010/444961/signs-case1-1.jpg)
Facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1913. RBF Gutenberg 1454 [1913]
The first page of the Book of Genesis is a fitting beginning for this exhibition. The elongated ‘I’ running the length of the inner margin depicts some of the stages of the creation of the world, starting with the formation of the Heavens and Earth and ending with an image of Eve being drawn from Adam’s rib (reference to Genesis 2:21–2:22). In the blue background is a depiction of God, his fingers raised in blessing, as he sets to work.
The scrolling decoration along the bottom and outer edge of the text is not devoid of its own meaning. The peacock was a symbol of the Resurrection and immortality. The red-breasted robin was portrayed as attending Christ, and the white heron (a sign of vigilance) was one of his signifiers. The roses represent love and the stylized acanthus leaves a sign of the heavenly garden.
Facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1913. RBF Gutenberg 1454 [1913]
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