The Book of Common Prayer.

The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Cermonies of the Church, According to the Use of the United Church of England and Ireland: Together with the Proper Lessons for Sundays and other Holy-Days, and a New Version of the Psalms of David.
24mo. [126 x 78 x 39 mm]. Contemporary binding of black goatskin over bevilled and moulded boards, the covers with a raised lozenge shaped central panel interlocking with raised semi-circles at the head and foot, framed with gilt fillets and gouges. The spine divided into four panels with wide bands tooled with gilt broken fillets, lettered in gilt on the central band, the panels tooled in blind, the edges of the boards tooled with a blind roll, the turn-ins with a gilt roll, marbled endleaves, brass catch and clasp, gilt and gauffered edges. (Joints slightly rubbed).
Oxford: printed at the University Press. Sold by Barritt and Co, Bible Warehouse, 173 Fleet Street, London, 1855.

An unusual and highly tactile binding. In c.2010 I sold to the British Library (C188a163) a dos-a-dos binding with similarly profiled covers signed by Barritt & Co. as binders on a Book of Common Prayer, c.1840. James Barritt sold his bindery to his brother-in-law Benjamin West in 1842 and he continued to run the business until 1860.

Stock no. ebc7904