Spotlight

VERMEIL BINDING. BIBLIA GERMANICA. Das Ganze Neue Testament. [Bound with] Die CL. Psalmen Davids durch D. Amb. Lobwasser in Teutsche Reimen gebracht; [and] Die kleine Bibel oder: des Psalter Davids. Zurich, Joh(ann) Heinrich Bürckli, 1738. 12mo (162 x 95 mm), 272, 215, 64 pp., 2 frontispieces and 10 engraved plates. 18th century Zurich Vermeil binding; openwork, chiselled and fire-gilt silver over dark brown sharkskin on wooden boards; cover, spine and clasps decorated with rich scrollwork, volutes and floral elements, a bird with outstretched wings in the inner corners of each cover, a basket of flowers in the centre of the cover and spine fittings. Two domed pierced clasps, pierced headcap protection plates, all edges gilt, pastedowns of brocade paper.

Beautiful copy of the New Testament in the Zurich version printed for domestic use, in a typical Zurich binding with this high-quality design, around 1740.

The city was the most important place of production for this splendid type of binding decoration, which was named after the gilding technique (French vermeil). The 4 open-worked metal plates leave about half of the spine and a quarter of the covers exposed. “In contrast to the Baroque bindings, the covers and spines of Upper Rhine and Swiss metal bindings are generally flat, often open-worked and chiselled. Very often the metal (brass or silver) is fire-gilt” (v. Arnim).

Ambrosius Lobwasser (1515–1584) introduced the melodies of the French Psalter to the German audience, he adopted the melodies from the Genevan Psalter, originally compiled by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze between 1532 and 1560.

References: Cf. von Arnim, Europäische Einbandkunst 121.

Price: CHF 5000