Whole booke of Psalmes Collected into English meeter by Thomas Sternhold, Iohn Hopkins, and others. I.L. for the Company of Stationers. [London]. 1643.

[44], 1-408, [56] pages + colophon (including index). C3, G4,corners torn, not affecting text. Pages mildly age-toned and very occasional slight foxing. Some page corners lightly creased. One gathering very slightly sprung.    All edges gilt and gauffered. Contemporary ink ownership signatures and marginalia on verso of front free endpaper, page 165, verso of colophon, blank leaf and rear endpapers. "Read not this book ..." Provenance: Richard Brigge.    55 x 85 mm.    Contemporary lovely early 17th century English binding with heavy gilt tooling. Spine heavily hand-tooled in gilt with four typically 17th C. crude floral and leaf  designs within pointillé and dogtooth horizontal borders.  The binding of the front and rear boards is very similar to the sixteenth century binding style of the contemporary entrelac or strapwork bindings made popular by the collector Jean Grolier who was treasurer of France. The boards are somewhat rubbed and corners  worn, but with an attractive patina. A rare miniature  edition in a rare contemporary "Green Man"  binding. For another 1634 Company of  Stationers Book of Psalms, see Christie's New York, The History of the Book: The Cornelius J. Hauck Collection, 27-28 June 2006, lot 290. Another similar miniature 1634 Book of Psalms, worked in silver wire over maroon velvet, was sold at Christie's London, Valuable Books and Manuscripts (including Important Early English Books from the Kenyon Library at Gredington), 14 July 2021, lot 98 (£27,500). The twin "Green Man" depictions on each board set this binding apart - it is rare to see and there are no equivalent "Green Man" bookbindings currently in commerce and none that have been located in libraries.  The Green Man appears on our medieval churches as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection, tying together the old ancient pagan symbols associated with spring &  with the Christian faith. Welsh, 642 (Davenport, English Embroidered Bookbindings, image 50. Grolier, Exhibition of Silver Embroidered and Curious Bookbinding, 223). STC, 2653.    WorldCat locates no copies worldwide.