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Book cover: M/P.1-1943

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An image of Book cover
An image of Book cover
Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Silversmith: Unknown (Possibly)

Entities

Categories

Description

Silver; front and back cover, spine and clasp are cast and chased with two Biblical scenes amid openwork angels, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers

Silver; the hinged front and back cover, spine and clasp are cast and chased. The covers are rectangular, the spinge slightly concave and the clasp is shaped-triangular. The vignette on the front cover depicts St. John baptising Christ; the back cover possibly shows Christ risen from the tomb. They are surrounded by four angels playing musical instruments, amid vacant cartouches, urns, scrolls, diaper-work and flowers. The spine and clasp are similarly decorated with openwork scrolls.

Notes

History note: Not known before Mrs Sigismund Goetze

Legal notes

Given by Mrs S. Goetze

Measurements and weight

Weight: 260 g
Weight: 8 : 7 oz : dwt

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1943) by Goetze, Constance, Mrs

Dating

19th Century, Late
1880 CE - 1897 CE

Note

Produced in Germany or The Netherlands but bearing English import marks for John George Smith & Co, who imported the cover into London in 1897. John George Smith & Co., were proprietors of the Continental Daily Parcels Express, and are known to have imported a large quantity of decorative silver objects, many from Germany.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Cover Height 15.5 cm Height 6⅛ in Width 11.2 cm Width 4½ in
Covers And Spine Width 25.8 cm Width 10¼ in
Decoration

Materials used in production

Silver

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: 'C' with crown above

  • Location: On the back and front of the cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Pseudo-hallmark

Inscription present: trefoil

  • Location: On the back and front of the cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Pseudo-hallmark

Inscription present: John George Smith & Co

  • Text: J.S
  • Location: On the back cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Agent's mark

Inscription present: lion passant

  • Location: On the back and front of the cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Hallmark
  • Text: b
  • Location: On the back cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Hallmark
  • Text: F
  • Location: On the back and front of the cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Hallmark

Inscription present: leopard's hear

  • Location: On the back cover
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Hallmark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M/P.1-1943
Primary reference Number: 159920

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Book cover" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/159920 Accessed: 2025-12-08 01:48:53

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/159920 |title=Book cover |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-08 01:48:53|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-159920

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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa37/M_P_1_1943_1_200810_mfj22_dc2.jpg"
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Book cover</figcaption>
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