17th-century English gold-tooled black morocco binding, produced for St John's College (C.1.28-29)

This edition of Basilika, The workes of King Charles the martyr (London, 1662), was produced soon after the Restoration, and the copy at St John's bears a black morocco binding decorated with gold-tooling in a "rectangular" design, but also has the College's name in a central cartouche on the cover.

17th-century French gold-tooled red morocco (P.1.5)

17th-century French gold-tooled red morocco binding, the decoration being of the "fanfare" style. This style, which incorporated intricate ribbon designs and leaf sprays, was popular in France from the late 16th century, and into the 17th. From Harlay de Champvallon's Apologia Evangelii, pro Catholicis (Paris, 1625).

17th-century English gold-tooled black morocco (Aa.6.49)

17th-century English gold-tooled black morocco binding, with a design that continues on the spine. From a volume containing four sermons by Anthony Tuckney printed 1654-6.

Gift of George Udny Yule.

17th-century? English gold-tooled morocco with gauffering & clasps (T.9.51)

English morocco binding with gold-tooled design, a little gauffering on the edges of the textblock, and book-clasps, only one of which is still complete. From one of the Library's copies of the Liber precum publicarum (London, 1574).

15th-century? Italian blind-tooled morocco (Ii.1.35)

15th-century? blind-tooled brown morocco, probably Italian from the earliest printed Venetian Vulgate of 1475, which is also illuminated. The binding has rivets for chains, book-clasps, and the impressions of bosses. The central ornament is composed of knotwork, which is typical of Venetian bindings of the time.

Bequest of John Newcome.

16th-century calf with cornerpieces & central boss (Nn.6.25)

16th-century calf over wooden boards with brass cornerpieces and central boss. From a copy of Pietro Martire Vermigli's Loci communes (Zurich, 1587) once owned by Hugh Morgan, physician to Elizabeth I.

18th?-century coloured paper binding with floral pattern (G.13.31)

Possibly contemporary binding of coloured paper with a floral design, from a volume containing the five parts of Thomas Crenius' work on the best books, De libris scriptorum optimis et utilissimis exercitatio (1704-1717).

17th-century English (Cambridge) gold-tooled stained buckskin (Qq.11.5)

Gold-tooled buck or deerskin binding with a wheel-shaped central ornament, of a type produced in Cambridge in the mid 17th century. Buckskin was usually whitened by alum-tawing, but this example is stained red. From Joseph Mede's Clauis apocalyptica (Cambridge, 1632).

17th-century English sheepskin binding for John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln (Kk.2.10)

17th-century gold-tooled sheepskin binding for John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, and later Archbishop of York. This binding is found on several volumes of the works of Richard Fludd, presented to Williams by the author. Sheepskin was a cheap material and degraded easily, notice the tearing and scuffing on the surface here.

17th-century English embroidered binding (Y.a.1617.1(1))

17th-century English embroidered binding with scenes of King David with a harp on the front cover, and Time with a scythe and an hourglass on the rear cover. The spine is decorated florally, and the edges of the textblock are decorated with gilding, gauffering and painting. From Of the imitation of Christ (London, 1617).

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