Bible box

Many varieties had a slanted or angled top with a lower lip, meant to hold the Bible for reading when the box was placed on a table.

The level or slanted surface of the box then served as a desktop for writing as well as reading.

In much of Europe this kind of box was produced in many different materials, such as wood, metal or ceramics, in simple or extremely ornate styles.

In Colonial America, this container was produced locally in a great variety of styles and finishes, by amateurs and professionals.

The term "Bible box" is sometimes wrongly used in the United States to qualify antique objects which are in fact simple portable desks with no biblical connection.