1720s Edinburgh Bible, bound in an unusual contemporary bird-themed binding

"1720s Edinburgh Bible, bound in an unusual contemporary bird-themed binding"

Although worn, and without the gold gilt which would have originally decorated the binding, you can still see the intricate tooling designs which fill both boards and the spine.

At each corner is a winged bird while the central panel is decorated with feathers  - an unusual variation on the herringbone pattern which is often found on Scottish bindings of this period. Floral decorations fill the rest of the binding while two cherubs and two crowned men  are found at 4 points around a sun  shaped central figure. This theme of a central "sun" figure surrounded by royal and religious symbols, may well allude to George 1st, King of Scotland and England. 

The binding encloses a complete Bible and Psalms which was published by James Watson in Edinburgh, 1722.

8vo (Octavo) - Complete - A8-Uu8,Xx4, (Psalms in Quarto - A4-H4 (last leaf blank). Missing fly leaves. Sellotape repair to binding at edges. Binding worn with loss of all gold gilt and lower headband, but not rebacked.

Owners initials "I.A" to inner binding. Possibly James Anderson (5 August 1662 – 3 April 1728) - Scottish antiquary and historian