Silver bible cover with two Biblical scenes

An image of Book cover/bible cover. Unknown silversmith, Netherlands or Germany. With two Biblical scenes amid openwork angels, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers. The covers are rectangular, the spinge slightly concave and the clasp is shaped-triangular. The vignette on the front cover depicts St. John baptising Christ; the back cover possibly shows Christ risen from the tomb. They are surrounded by four angels playing musical instruments, amid vacant cartouches, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers. The spine and clasp are similarly decorated with openwork scrolls. Silver, the hinged front and back cover, spine and clasp are cast and chased. Height, cover, 15.5 cm, width, cover, 11.2 cm, width, covers and spine, 25.8 cm, weight 260 g, 1880-1897. Notes: The book cover was accessioned as 18th century, but is probably late 19th century.The cover bears pseudo 16th or 17th Continental hallmarks, and English import marks for London 1897. Produced in Germany or The Netherlands but bearing English import marks for John George Smith & Co, who imported the cover into London in 1897.

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Book cover/bible cover. Unknown silversmith, Netherlands or Germany. With two Biblical scenes amid openwork angels, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers. The covers are rectangular, the spinge slightly concave and the clasp is shaped-triangular. The vignette on the front cover depicts St. John baptising Christ; the back cover possibly shows Christ risen from the tomb. They are surrounded by four angels playing musical instruments, amid vacant cartouches, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers. The spine and clasp are similarly decorated with openwork scrolls. Silver, the hinged front and back cover, spine and clasp are cast and chased. Height, cover, 15.5 cm, width, cover, 11.2 cm, width, covers and spine, 25.8 cm, weight 260 g, 1880-1897. Notes: The book cover was accessioned as 18th century, but is probably late 19th century.The cover bears pseudo 16th or 17th Continental hallmarks, and English import marks for London 1897. Produced in Germany or The Netherlands but bearing English import marks for John George Smith & Co, who imported the cover into London in 1897.

Image data

Accession Number: M/P.1-1943
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal length: 50
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 608 pixels
Image width: 944 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
Filesize: 659.08kB
Exposure time: 1/100
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 22/1
Captured: 2008:10:30 14:55:59

Key words

19th Century angels baptism baptism of Christ baptist Bible bible bible cover biblical book book cover cartouche cartouches cast chased Christ Christianity clasps cover diaper work European Fitz_AA floral flowers German hinged Jesus John the Baptist Netherlandish New Testament openwork pierced religion religious resurrected resurrection risen Risen Christ Saint John the Baptist scenes scrolls Silver silverware St John the Baptist The Risen Christ urns vignette vignettes

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025)
            "Silver bible cover with two Biblical scenes"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-207057 Accessed: 2025-12-29 15:12:33

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            {{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-207057
            |title=Silver bible cover with two Biblical scenes
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-29 15:12:33|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Silver bible cover with two Biblical scenes</figcaption>
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