1752 Statenbijbel (Dutch Bible), Engravings by Luyken & Picart

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FULL TITLE: BIBLIA DAT IS DE GANTSCHE H. SCHRIFT VERVATTENDE ALLE CANONYKE BOEKEN DES OUDEN EN NIEUWEN TESTAMENTS (Dutch Statenbijbel)

 

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Language: Dutch

Published by: Burgers, Losel, Brandt, Oterlyk, Van Grafhorst and Onder de Linden, Dordrecht, 1752 & Amsterdam, 1751

 

DESCRIPTION: Including: Boek der Psalmen, jaare 1773, Te Haarlem, Johannes Enschede en Zoonen, 1775 and with also Catechismus Belijdenisse des Geloofs. 4 Volumes Bound in 1

Scarce and very rare 18th century re-issue of the famous Dordrecht Statenbijbel, with 4 volumes bound together in 1 pocket size edition; engraved title-page pressed on the front of the 'Acte van Consent', dated Dordrecht 1752, and no separate title-page for the Old Testament, but with separate title-pages for the New Testament, Amsterdam 1751, and the Psalms, Haarlem, 1775. 

Bound in a contemporary 18th century Dutch binding, pebble-grained black goat-skin morocco leather over hard-boards, now lacking the original silver clasps and hardware.

Unlike the 1st issue in 1741, this edition is profusely embellished with over 40 full-page biblical illustrations by an unidentified engraver, all with captions of several lines, closely resembling the work of Jan Luyken & Bernard Picart.

Unpaginated, small 8 vo. pocket edition, written in black Gothic Dutch script, with multiple page columns; 132 leaves of diamond-head musical notation sheets for psalms; marbled end-pages; engraved capital 1st letter of Genesis; raised bands on spine; decorated with gorgeous tail-pieces; blind-stamped tooling, gold-gilt page edges on all three sides; 3 title pages with decorative engravings, including Book of Psalms title-page with additional illustration; spine is untitled.

The condition is superb, shows slight signs of use and soiling, with aging of the pages and occasional foxing, as well as a very minor separation appearing at the top-most corner of the back cover, and otherwise all complete and strongly bound, without any missing or loose pages, and with no signs of deterioration or major damages; an ideal museum piece for any collection of rare Bibles or Dutch literature.

the craftsmanship, with the unusual depth of its dimensions, is remarkable and the elegance of the musical notation impresses with its delicacy; profound wealth of engravings; strongly bound in a high grade contemporary Levant binding, in excellent condition, without written notations or personal markings, also without any stamps or library markings, and without any signatures or dedications on any of the front or back blank end-papers. 

The Dordrecht Statenbijbel: the States-General (Staten Generael) was ordered by the Synod of Dordrecht at a special meeting in 1618. It is the first translation of the Bible into the Dutch language from the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts. Previous Dutch versions were translated from other translations, such as the German Luther Bible. The official Dutch translation was completed in 1637 and a print of the occasion is loosely inserted with the Bible. Just as the 'Luther Bible' and the 'King James Bible' had a major influence on the literature and art of both Germany and England respectively, so too was the 'Statenbijbel’ a major influence on Dutch culture, inspiring poets, writers, and artists such as Rembrandt.

 

CONDITION: Doesn't close properly owing to its thickness and the loss of its clasps; shows continuous opening of the New Testament, the lacing has a slight lift at that point and the pages have gathered there at the bottom margin; the leather also shows rubbing, having been often opened at the bottom-edge of the back cover; there is a fingernail's breadth separation of the board and tear of the leather at the top-most corner seam of the spine; it has a slight grayish scuff at the very top of the front cover; has faint signs of once having metal, presumably silver, clasps; marbled end-papers appear to have separated from inner-boards; paste-downs have minor looseness; and marbled end-papers blank llfp have a marginal rip at the lower outer edge.


BOOK MEASUREMENTS: 8.5 cm (width) X 14.5 cm (length), and 7 cm (height)