Model of Pepysian bookcase,wood, England, 1975-1978

Carved and polished wooden bookcase with perspex for the glass doors.

The upper part has four shelves, of which three are removable, and nineteen books. The books are made of carved wood: seven are covered with black leather with gold floral designs; two are covered with dark pink brushed nylon and ten are covered with brown paper with brass studs in the spines. One of the brown books has paper pages stuck inside the wood. All of the book edges are painted gold.

The lower part has no shelves or books.

This is a model of a Pepysian bookcase.

The following text about the 'Pepysian Bookcase 1666' is taken from The Observers Book of Furniture by John Woodforde:

The free-standing bookcase, or press, as an alternative to fixed open shelves, was a mid-17th century development. In 1666 the diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of engaging 'Sympson, the Joyner' to make 'presses in which to set books now growing numerous' ..... twelve [are] now housed at Magdalene College, Cambridge. It is finely made of solid oak. The glass doors of upper and lower stages are subdivided by heavy glazing bars. There is a carved frieze under the boldly jutting-out cornice.

Purchased in 1978 from Bernard John Mills [78/1394]

In the style of a 1666 Pepysian bookcase

This model of a mid 17th century Pepysian bookcase was hand made in the 1970s and took approximately 110 hours to construct.

MISC.254:1 to 23-1978