Ornate designs, rare materials, and, as in this example, vividly colored needleworked flowers have embellished covers of religious texts from the very earliest manuscripts. Flowered family Bible covers were typically the choice of Anglo-Protestant needlework artists. Those co-existed alongside covers with the vibrant, abstract flame stitch, also called the “Irish” stitch. Shortly after this book was purchased, the cover was decorated and personalized with “Hugh McCulloch” on one side. Hugh’s wife, Christina, most likely the maker, relocated with him from Ireland to Philadelphia, where he became a prosperous flax merchant.