Hardcover
1784 · Bern
by Piscator, Johann (Translator)
Bern: Beat Friedrich Fischer (Printer), 1784. Original 1784 Printing. Hardcover. Binding solid and contents free of extraneous marks but with a spot here and there and age toning to some pages. (Old) worm holes to back 1/3 of the book (one or two per page until about page 57 of the last section and especially prolific in the very last pages/end pages. Holes, however, are mostly on the margins. Covers have general shelf/age wear; spine head/tail raised bands detaching with small pieces missing; front outer hinge cracked but binding still secure. soiling to end papers; modern book plate (1975) on ffep. Staining to margins of pages, beginning with the hand-colored gift inscription (outside the black borders) through page 28 of the first section.. Stiff brown leather over thick, beveled boards. Five raised bands on spine. No title to covers/spine. 5 square brass decorations, each with a center nodule, on each cover/corner and large raised bands attached with two brass fasteners to head/tail of spine. Remainders of two brass/leather hinge closures attached to edges of covers, but parts in between missing. Stunning, hand-colored, specially-made gift inscription page bound in (from 1834, Germany). (8) + 252 + 336 + 222 + 258 pp. Page edges toned red. No illustrations. Two lovely, old German ephemeral pieces laid in, one hand-written, one printed and illustrated. Oversize and heavy (9 pounds) and will require extra postage. Bible, in three main sections with separate, florid-text title pages for each (Old Testament, Apochrypha, New Testament), translated by Johann Biscator (sometimes listed as Piscator), German theologian, magistrate and translator. Text in Old German. A brief summary of the Bible precedes the main text. The text of the gift inscription reads: "Diese Biblia is mein, Elisabeth Hebi von Seeberg. Ist mir vone meiner geliebten Tansgotten Serena Hebi zu Niederons auf das Neujahr 1834 zum Geschenk gegeben...(?)." The Bible was a gift to Elisabeth Hebi of Seeburg (likely Seeburg, Lower Saxony) from her Godparents/mother, Serena Hebi, as a gift at the New Year 1834, possibly for Elisabeth's baptism.
(Inventory #: 156190)