Beschreibung:

69/3009 Bindings VOC Longgrained brown morocco binding richly decorated with silver VOC binding ornaments 69/3009 [Bindings. VOC]. Longgrained brown morocco binding richly decorated with silver VOC binding ornaments: silver clasps and catches, silver plate on frontcover and backcover, silver stylus (to be stuck through the four silver catches), the clasps finely decorated with crowned "VOCE" [= VOC Enkhuizen] monogram and finely decorated with an East Indiaman flying the VOC flag, 8vo. - ON: a notebook with early 20th cent. paper and annots. in pen and ink. - Board edges and spine rubbed; upper joint splitting near spine-ends. Otherwise fine. = A very rare binding with silver VOC decorations with the monogram of the Enkhuizen chamber, with a stylus functioning as catch as well as pen. The silver catches bear the silver hallmark showing the coat of arms of Amsterdam and a year mark Y (1783) and an unidentified silversmith mark, but appears to be the symbol Sigma. Cf. Landwehr, VOC p.XXVII and XXIX (with illustration [w. almost identical decorations]): "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". The paper bookblock is late 19th/ early 20th century (watermark H.P. Charro & zonen) and with early 20th century annotations. Perhaps the silver decorations were re-used on a later binding.