We are often asked if we have any examples of completely unused, large format 19th century family Bibles in our inventory. It's a wonderful idea to use one as a way of beginning a family record of faith and devotion today. We don't get them often though. The ones that come in are usually already populated in the family, marriage, birth, and death sections, or have condition issues. Not this one. It is clean and absolutely beautifully preserved.

Housed in a deep brown morocco, it is deeply blind-stamped in the mid-19th century Gothic Revival aesthetic. The outer framework of the front board consists of several concentric blind-ruled borders enclosing a repeated palmette or stylized leaf roll tool along the outermost edge. This transitions into an ornate inner frame composed of alternating quatrefoils and elongated oval accents set within individual geometric compartments.

The central rectos are divided into distinct panels. The top and bottom segments of the central field each contain three stamped rosette or floral motifs spaced evenly across a finely textured leather background. The focal point of the binding is the central pattern, where a grid of intersecting diagonal lines creates an array of diamond-shaped lozenges. Each individual lozenge is deeply stamped with a crisp, stylized fleur-de-lis motif. The whole creates a rich, tactile surface that relies on the texture and shadow of the blind tooling for visual impact rather than gilt decoration.

The Practical and Devotional Family Bible. The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments According to the Authorized Version, with the Marginal Readings, and Original and Selected Parallel References Printed at Length. And the Commentaries of [Matthew] Henry and [Thomas] Scott, Condensed by the Rev. John McFarlane. London and Glasgow. William Collins. c.1860's. 

Very good, near fine with only the slightest rubbing at extremities.