Louis 14th or late Baroque style. Approx. 1675-1750
The Louis XIV style is heavy, pompous and symmetrical. Prosperity in the Netherlands increased and more and more people could buy a Bible with a silver lock. More and more silversmiths in important silver centers such as the cities of North Holland: Enkhuizen, Hoorn, but also in Friesland, Leeuwarden and Sneek, for example, focused on forging Bible locks. The ditches became wider and could be seen more. During this time we also see the corner pieces appearing to protect their Bible even better. Of course, one could also show off the Bible when it was carried under the arm to church. The locks were marked on the inside of the endpaper and often the leaf was then glued over the marks so that they could not be seen. The Bible below is a nice example from this period.
These silver locks were made by Johannes van Geelen from Gouda, he worked from 1695-1739.
