1864 Recueil de prières | Floral Gauffered Edge and Metal Clasp

Recuiel de prieres (Collection of Prayers). Printed by Alfred Mame, Tours, France. Published 1864. French Language. 

A beautiful full brown leather binding with intricately designed covers and spine, brass metal rims, and a brass metal clasp closure with a cross design surrounded by flourishes; all pages are gold-gilt with an intricate floral gauffered motif design. 

The page edges feature an embossed design called a gauffered edge. After the book block was tightly clamped and the page edges were gilded, a master binder used heated brass finishing tools to hand-stamp the delicate flower design into the gold. It was a premium feature reserved for luxury devotional or presentation books in the mid-19th century. 

115 mm W x 80 mm H. 544 pages. 

Condition: A few marks to the front cover, some wear to the front hinge and spine edges, the metal clasp has some tarnish, some discoloration to the endpapers, and foxing thrgouhout. Good condition.