A gripping device which can grip small articles of different shapes without the need to work its chucking surfaces or to use blocks and liners in combination, and which can position articles in parallel to or perpendicular to a reference surface with a single gripping device. A fixed yoke, a movable yoke and an anvil-side yoke are connected to two columns so that all the yokes can pivot relative to the columns and the movable yoke can further slide relative to the columns to form a parallel crank mechanism. The fixed yoke is provided with a threaded shaft for moving the movable yoke. V grooves are formed in opposed surfaces of the movable yoke and the anvil-side yoke. A plurality of cuts are formed at the portion where the V-grooves are formed in parallel to the columns. The cuts define plate members having V-grooved gripping portions meshing with each other.