[Delft] V.O.C. Delft bookbinding of black chagrin with silver ornaments in relief

18th-century bookbinding of black chagrin, 13 x 8 cm, both boards with central silver ornament with threemaster and two ornaments with "VOCD" [= Dutch East India Company Delft chamber], with rings to the fore edge through which the original silver pen can be placed to close the binding, with content several blank leaves between chintz-paper endpapers, folding pocket on the inside of the back board, all edges gilt.

Splendid and very rare copy, of the Delft VOC chamber only a handful of specimens are known. These fine and expensive notebooks were issued by the VOC as business gifts. The silver is marked here and there, e.g. the pen with maker's mark "AG" (Abraham Geurts, Amsterdam, 1764-1807), but most marks could not be identified. Cf. Landwehr, VOC p. XXVII and XXIX: "Few VOC stamped bindings bearing the initials of the less important chambers, such as Delft and Rotterdam, have come to light. (...) Actually the two chambers jointly commissioned notebooks and/ or almanacs on a yearly basis from the same silversmith. Elegantly bound in sealskin, they were provided with a silverplate of an East Indiaman surrounded by scrollwork on the front and backcovers (...). Unfortunately, no specimens from the other chambers have been found".