About the cover:

Full-grain binding Dark blue marocco with a hand-gilt border and leather overlays of small red and beige dots, the border pattern also fills the binding fields between the five bands; on the front cover a communion chalice with stars above the gold title, wide inner edges with red and beige leather dots between two gold lines, gilt edges on three sides, hand-stitched capital, small hood decorated with gold lines; endpapers in blue-grey Ingres paper.

The monogram on the inside of the back cover at the bottom: ‘EJLD’ probably means Edith, Josephine Lee Diel (mother).

About the content:

The Scotch Communion Office: for the use of The Episcopal Church of Scotland

26 pages of instructions on procedure and behaviour at Communion in the Episcopal Church in Scotland.

About the artist: Edith Diehl was one of the most traditionally working, globally recognised bookbinders and an exceptionally skilled teacher. Her two-volume textbook ‘Bookbinding: Its Background and Technique", a very practical guide. The author shows how the codex form developed with the spread of Christianity, how bookbinding became a craft and trade in the 15th century and how the production and distribution of books shifted from monasteries and universities to famous publishers. She describes the various binding techniques and decorations associated with national styles in Italy, France, England, Germany, North America and other countries.