This rustic-looking book press has been restored with a coat of dark stain to finish it off. This is commonly called a lying press or laying press, used to firmly hold a book's spine or text block flat for tasks like gluing or applying back or spine decoration. The angled sides on this press suggest that it can be used for gilding.
Made of solid wooden blocks, the press has a height of 124mm, with a total length of 465 mm. The gap between the handles is 320 mm. Each block is 108 mm wide. The press can open to at least 100 mm, and it tightens down with no gap between the blocks.