THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER... 1846

.....  AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS AND OTHER RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND.  Bickers & Son.  London.  Assumed 1846, as this is the first year given in the "Table of moveable feasts for fifty two years".  Unpaginated.  Every page has an ornate woodcut border, with multiple and varied detailed, small illustrations, based on illustrations by Durer and Holbein.  A feast for the eye.  Approx 7" x 5", or 185 x 135mm.  A smallish, compact, full leather bound volume, dark brown in colour.  Ornate, stamped borders on both covers, framing elaborite gilt title on front cover.  Raised bands on spine with red leather label and title in gilt.  Marbled endpapers, red page edges.  Covers a little scuffed, corners bumped.  Front and back endpapers cracked and one place in book where a few pages are slightly projecting.  There is a crack externally with small loss of leather along the bottom 50mm of the front hinge.  Internally this book is clean with occasional light foxing and there are no inscriptions.  A woodcut depicting the Tree of Jesse frames the title, and a woodcut of Queen Elizabeth 1 forms the frontispiece.  Apart from the sacred text, each page depicts enough detailed artistry to absorb the reader for a lengthy period.