Provenance

The Mary Eleanor Hibbert collection.

Strauss & Co, 7 March 2011.

Literature

Stephan Welz (1976) Cape Silver and Silversmiths, Cape Town, A A Balkema, similar examples illustrated on pages 52-55.

Notes

The late 18th century clasps are generally cast with a floral openwork decoration and fitted in pairs; whereas later bibles and hymnals have only a single clasp engraved with a simple geometric design. Often unmarked, clasps on hymnals would appear to have remained popular until late into the 19th century.