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Binding and bookmark
Unknown - Enlarge image
Binding and bookmark
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (Made)
- Date:
ca. 1652 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Embroidered in silks on satin; the bookmark plaited with silk and silver thread
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by Sir Frederick Richmond, Bt
- Museum number:
T.44&A-1954
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56d, case 3, shelf DR1
Object Type
This binding contains the Holy Bible, printed in London in 1651, together with The Whole Book of Psalms, collected unto English Meeter, printed in London in 1652. Embroidery was much used for the bindings of religious books or presentation copies in England in the 16th century and first half of the 17th. Although new ornate covers were sometimes made for precious books of an earlier date, the embroidery here is likely to be contemporary with its contents.
Materials & Making
Book bindings were sometimes worked by skilled amateur embroiderers. The best-known examples are a series of books with embroidered bindings worked by the future Elizabeth I for her father Henry VIII and his last wife Catherine Parr as New Year gifts. The subjects and styles of embroidery chosen for book bindings were close to those used for other small items worked at home. Motifs were copied from pattern books and prints, or panels could be bought already drawn out. Most Old Testament scenes used in embroidery, including this one, were taken originally from a book of biblical stories published by Gerard de Jode in Antwerp in 1585.
Subjects Depicted
This book binding shows scenes from the Old Testament story of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar was the servant of Abraham's wife Sarah, who was unable to have children. When Hagar conceived a child by Abraham she showed contempt towards Sarah, who retaliated with such harsh treatment that Hagar fled into the wilderness. There she was comforted by an angel, and gave birth to her son Ishmael.
