A shagreen bound VOC Delft notebook with silver mounts and pen

Probably Amsterdam, circa 1780

The shagreen binding richly decorated with silver VOC binding ornaments. The silver plate on the front and back cover shows an East-Indiaman flying the VOC flag within, two silver catches with a silver stylus (to be stuck through the two silver catches), finely decorated with a crowned "VOCD" (for VOC Delft) monogram. With six leaves specially prepared for writing with the stylus, interleaved with fourteen blank leaves.

H. 13.9 x H. 8.1 x D. 1.5 cm

Provenance:
Private collection, the Netherlands

The silver fittings were likely made by the Amsterdam medallist and mint master Johann Georg Holtzhey (1729–1808), who is documented as producing such silver mounts for notebooks commissioned by the VOC chambers of Delft and Rotterdam. Archival notes from Holtzhey’s diary (1777–1784) indicate that the fittings were supplied to the silversmith Dirck van Hengel, who probably mounted them onto the bookbindings. These notebooks were favoured by high-ranking VOC officials and were often presented as prestigious business gifts by the Company’s directors.

For comparison see PDZ 116, PDZ 52, PDZ 100 of the Museum Prinsenhof collection.