(BIBLE, Hebrew). Chamishah Chumshei Torah [-end]

The resemblance of this exquisite binding to the much sought after bindings commissioned by the famed French bibliophile Jean Grolier, is striking. That this however is unfortunately not a Grolier binding is clear from the fact that Grolier’s death preceeded the publication date of the Bible. Moreover, Grolier would commonly have his name or his motto tooled onto one of the covers or penned inside. Some of the tooled motifs on this binding look similar to those on Plantin bindings, which lends itself to the suggestion that the Plantin Press bound a few copies of this miniature Bible in their house-style fine binding as a speculative enterprise, with an eye towards their very finest patrons. It is highly unusual to find a Hebrew Bible in a contemporary binding of such striking craftsmanship and elegance and whether privately commissioned or issued on spec, this gem is a prize indeed. For an example of a Grolier binding of similar style, see Pierpont Morgan Library Catalogue, The Wormsley Library: A Personal Selection by Sir Paul Getty (1999), p. 70-1, no. 24 (illus.) With thanks to Dr. Jan Storm van Leeuwen, Keeper, Bookbinding Collection, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague, The Netherlands, for his expertise in researching this binding