AA.VV. - Bybel - 1748

THE GIANT OF REFORM: A MAJESTIC STATENBIJBEL IN AN “OLIFANTEN-FOLIO”
Dutch monumental Bible printed in Gorinchem in 1748 by Nicolaas Goetzee, one of the most imposing testimonial prints of the Dutch Protestant tradition of the eighteenth century. This gigantic “Statenbijbel,” in the extremely rare so-called “Olifanten-folio” format, perfectly embodies the Bible’s function as a domestic object, political symbol, and identity instrument of the United Provinces. The work includes the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha, according to the famous translation approved by the Synod of Dordrecht of 1618-1619. The original full-leather binding on oak boards, with blind-tooled tooling, raised cords, corner pieces, and heavy brass clasps, transforms the volume into an authentic object of power and representation. The dedication to the House of Orange-Nassau and the celebratory allegorical engravings confirm the deep bond between Dutch Protestantism, nation-building, and dynastic propaganda. An exemplar of exceptional stage presence, rare for structural completeness and preservation of the original binding.
MARKET VALUE
Large seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Statenbijbels in monumental “Olifanten-folio” format, complete with clasps and original hardware, are increasingly rare on the international antique market. Similar complete copies in sturdily preserved structural condition generally range between €1,000 and €3,000, with higher values for copies particularly fresh, with complete engravings and bindings fully intact. The presence of the exceptional monumental format, the original wooden boards, and the heavy metal apparatus significantly increases collector interest.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Original full brown leather binding, blind-tooled, on oak boards, decorated with fillets, floral motifs, and a central medallion impressed dry. Original spine with robust raised cords. Brass hardware with 8 corner pieces and 2 original clasps preserved. Exceptional volume in the “Olifanten-folio” format. Complete with Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha. Large typographic title page and decorative apparatus engraved. Present large allegorical engraving. Text set in double columns with marginal notes and exegetical apparatus. First cover restored and conservatively reinforced long ago, some wear at the top and side margins of several leaves. Some leaves detached. Present ancient manuscript ownership note. In old books with a centuries-long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pages: (2); 5nn; 8; 2nn; 38; 684; 4nn; 302; 4nn; 344; 4nn; 154; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Bible.
Gorinchem, Nicolaas Goetzee, 1748.
AA.VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Statenbijbel represents the foundational text of Dutch Protestantism and one of the cultural pillars of the Republic of the United Provinces. The official translation approved by the Synod of Dordrecht was conceived not only as a religious text but as a tool for linguistic unification and political consolidation of the young Protestant nation. This monumental edition of 1748, printed by Nicolaas Goetzee, fully reflects the ceremonial and domestic role of large Dutch Bibles in the eighteenth century. These were not merely books to read, but true family monuments: displayed in patrician homes, inherited through estates, and used during public readings of Scripture.
The dedication to the House of Orange-Nassau places the work within the context of Orangist propaganda and the sacralization of Dutch Protestant power. The presence of large allegorical engravings, monumental type, and heavy metal hardware gives the whole an almost architectural impression. The extremely rare monumental format, the original wooden boards, and the heavy metal fittings further heighten collector interest.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Nicolaas Goetzee operated in Gorinchem as the city’s official printer in the eighteenth century, producing high-quality Bible editions for the Dutch Protestant market. This edition of 1748 is regarded as the first and only large monumental impression produced by Goetzee.
Bibles of the States General with complete apparatus, large size, and original hardware that survives are now decidedly rare, especially in conditions of substantial structural integrity. Many surviving copies have lost clasps, corner pieces, or parts of the spine over time, elements here still largely preserved. The tradition of large blind-tooled Bibles on wooden boards traces back to late seventeenth-century bindings and to ceremonial North European Bibles, maintaining into the eighteenth century a sober yet monumental aesthetic language.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN: census of Dutch editions of the Statenbijbel from the eighteenth century.
STCN – Short Title Catalogue Netherlands: Nicolaas Goetzee, Gorinchem, 1748.
WorldCat: records of the editions “Bybel dat is de gansche H. Schrift.”
Darlow & Moule, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of Holy Scripture.
Herbert, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the Bible.
Studies on the Synod of Dordrecht and on the Statenvertaling.
Bibliographies on Dutch religious typography of the eighteenth century.
Catalogues of European antiquarians specializing in monumental Protestant Bibles.
Studies on Dutch binding blind-tooled on wooden boards and metal fittings.
Historical research on the House of Orange-Nassau and the confessional identity of the United Provinces.