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Museum object · Sacred and Ceremonial Objects

Bible given to Perkins William Dennis

1863

Smithsonian NMAAHC collection

COLLECTION RECORDImage not availableExplore the catalog description and source record.
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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Small leather bound text with metal clasps attached to the center PR edge of the front and back cover. The interlocking metal pieces which perhaps once held the bible together as extensions of these metal clasps are now missing. There is an embossed, symmetrical pattern on the covers; the central design is a large oval with two smaller circles at the top and bottom apexes of the central oval. Surrounding and embellishing these three prominent shapes are ornate design details and flourishes more worn down with age than the larger shapes. There is a partial binding along the spine of the text, but it should be noted that the bible is fragile and can be pulled apart into smaller groupings of pages if not handled with caution.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2014.273.11

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