
07/11/2023
This beautiful example of a girdle book is thought to have been the property of Ann Boleyn. It is said to have been given to one of her ladies who attended her on the scaffold in 1536. This lady is thought to have been a member of the Wyatt family who owned the book until 1817, after which it belonged to the Earls of Ashburnham. In 1883 it was purchased by the British Museum.
It can only be described as tiny, measuring 40 x 30 mm.
A girdle book is a small portable book that was attached to a girdle or belt and this particular book contains an image of King Henry VIII in miniature. It is in gold, the cover is gilt metalwork with a clasp and loops to attach it to the girdle.