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A beautiful matching pair from the early Victorian era: an 1841 Oxford Holy Bible and its companion Book of Common Prayer, dressed in richly decorated dark leather bindings.
The photographs tell the story. Gold floral tooling fills the panels on both spines, while delicate gilt borders frame the front and back covers. Open the books and the decoration continues around the inner edges. Even the page edges gleam gold. Set side by side, the two volumes have the presence of a carefully chosen personal library in miniature.
The Bible’s title page dates it precisely to 1841 and identifies it as printed at the University Press, Oxford, by Samuel Collingwood and Co. The companion prayer book bears the matching binding; its publication date has not been verified. Together they evoke the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, when a Bible and prayer book could accompany their owner from home to church and through a lifetime of family occasions.
Condition is exceptional for books of this age. The leather retains its handsome texture, the intricate gilding remains remarkably strong, and the gold page edges still catch the light. The interiors shown are clean and legible. There are handwritten gift inscriptions, including one dated 1847, adding a personal trace of the people who cherished these books. The ribbon markers show fraying, and there is minor age appropriate wear. Please examine the photographs for the precise condition of both volumes.
Each volume measures approximately 5¾" tall × 3½" wide. Offered together as the matching pair pictured—a wonderful set for a collector of Victorian books, fine bindings, Oxford printing, or religious history.
