Staten Bible 1855 - Dutch Bible Society | Leather, Golden Ratio & family history

Antique Dutch Statenbijbel from 1855, published by the Nederlandsche Bijbel-Compagnie in Amsterdam and Haarlem. A particularly complete and personally preserved church book in a sturdy leather binding with raised bands, marbled endpapers and an impressively beautiful gilt edge.

This compact but very thick Bible contains the Statenvertaling of the Old and New Testaments and is supplemented with Psalms, Evangelical Hymns, musical notation, a confession of faith, catechism texts and ecclesiastical forms. At the front is the official Act of Consent of the Provincial Church Council of North Holland.

The copy has an extensively preserved family history. At the front, several 19th-century marriage and family notices have been pasted in, and births and deaths have been recorded by hand on one page. Among those mentioned are the Woppenkamp and Joldersma families from Smilde and Norgervaart. The earliest dated family entry concerns the marriage of Frederik Woppenkamp and Geziena Joldersma in 1861. At the back, there is also a death notice from Assen from 1944. Thus, the book documents more than eighty years of personal and family use.

The dark leather binding has five raised bands and blind-stamped decoration. On the boards, mounting holes and impressions from two original clasps are visible, which are no longer present. Despite its intensive history of use, the book is still firmly bound. The full gilt edge has been particularly beautifully preserved and still gives the closed book an imposing appearance.

Details:

• Title: Biblia, dat is de Gantsche Heylige Schrifture
• Translation: Statenvertaling
• Edition: Nederlandsche Bijbel-Compagnie
• Publishers: J. Brandt en Zoon and P. Proost
• Printer/publisher Haarlem: Johannes Enschedé en Zonen
• Place: Amsterdam and Haarlem
• Year: 1855
• Language: Dutch
• Contents: Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Hymns and ecclesiastical forms
• Psalms and hymns with musical notation
• Act of Consent present
• Binding: dark leather
• Spine: five raised bands
• Endpapers: marbled
• Edge: fully gilt
• Former closure: traces of two clasps no longer present
• Personal additions: handwritten family register and pasted family notices
• Dated family history: including 1861, 1881, 1886 and 1944
• Places mentioned: Smilde, Norgervaart and Assen
• Dimensions: approx. 16 × 9.5 cm
• Thickness: approx. 7 cm
• Origin: Netherlands

Condition:
Good antiquarian condition with signs of use. The leather binding shows clear signs of age and use, including wear to the spine, edges and corners and local loss of the top layer of leather. The two original clasps are no longer present; the mounting points and impressions thereof are still visible. The binding and the substantial text block are still remarkably firm. The paper shows normal age discoloration, local stains, small tears and other signs of use. The marbled endpapers show wear and some old glue and paper residue. The gilt edge has been particularly beautifully preserved for its age. The old handwritten and printed family notices have been deliberately preserved as part of the history of this copy. See the photos for a complete picture of the condition.