1591 32mo First Printing of the English New Testament in Miniature - Scarce
Key Features
Size: 32mo (2.9375” x 1.9375”)
Font: Single Column Roman
Binding: Seventeenth Century Calf
Printer: [Deputies of Christopher Barker, London]
SKU: Q39
Key Features
Size: 32mo (2.9375” x 1.9375”)
Font: Single Column Roman
Binding: Seventeenth Century Calf
Printer: [Deputies of Christopher Barker, London]
SKU: Q39
Key Features
Size: 32mo (2.9375” x 1.9375”)
Font: Single Column Roman
Binding: Seventeenth Century Calf
Printer: [Deputies of Christopher Barker, London]
SKU: Q39
[The New Testament of Our Lord Jesus. Faithfully translated out of Greeke]
Description
Geneva-Tomson. Begins with Matthew 6:8. Text in Roman font with 32 lines to the full single column. Type and spacing only 1 mm. No contents before chapters and no marginal notes. First chapter woodcut initials.
Collation
A-Z^8 (-A1-7), Aa-Tt^8. Lacks title page and all before Matthew 6.
Binding
Later seventeenth century gilt double-paneled calf with corner fleurons. Spine with three raised bands and elaborate tooling to compartments. Marbled endpaper in the back. All edges gilt.
Condition
Text is clean and bright with good margins; Front endpaper perished, rear endpaper frayed. Cover starting at spine but holding with cords intact. Gilt faded. Rubbed and scuffed to joints, bottom of spine, and along front fore-edge.
Provenance
Eighteenth century ownership records of the Wood family with entries from 1760 to 1795.
Note
The first printing of the English New Testament in miniature format. This miniature Bible was likely printed for ease of travel in the pocket and for private devotion. These small pocket Bibles were heavily used and few copies have survived.
Scarcity
ESTC shows only 3 copies in holdings: British Library, University of Iowa, and State Library of South Australia. The only copy sold at auction hammered for 9,900 GBP in 1986.
References
Herbert 207.