This is a Victorian, Scottish Mauchline Ware 'Birthday Book' in the Black Lacquer Ware finish, printed by Alexander Gardner of Paisley, Scotland, and dating to 1885.

The book has sycamore boards, the rear finished in copal varnish, & the front in the Black Lacquer Ware finish with a chromolithographic print of a spray of flowers & an oval cartouche entitled 'A Birthday Book'.

The grained leather spine has 'GOLDEN LIGHT BIRTHDAY BOOK' in gold block, and the pages have gilt outer edges.

The interior has decorative end papers, a half title page with a hand written dedication dated 1885 opposite, the title page, & a lined Memoranda at the rear.

Each page of the book is divided into 1 or 2 days, each day dated & with a quote from the Bible, a religious verse, & a space for writing the names of two people whose birthday would fall on that day.

Condition is Fine, the boards, spine, & edges are excellent & the binding is tight. The pages are clean & around a quarter of the dates have had a name written in either ink or pencil.

The book measures approx 3 5/8" x 2 3/4" (approx 9.2cm x 7cm).