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Tag: Codex

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Published on 3 Comments on Single Quire Codex

Single Quire Codex

What is a codex? A codex is essentially an ancient book, consisting of one or more quires of sheets of papyrus or parchment folded together to form a group of leaves, or pages. This form of the book was not widely used in the ancient world until around the second century AD, when it slowly but steadily began to replace the traditional book form, the papyrus roll. Click the link below for more info!

http://www.lib.umich.edu/reading/Paul/codex.html

 

What is a quire? A quire is typically defined as four sheets of paper or parchment folded to form eight leaves, as in medieval manuscripts, any collection of leaves one within another in a manuscript or book, or more specifically 25 (formerly 24) sheets of paper; one twentieth of a ream. That being said, it varies. In the early days you could have 2 or 20; later on 4 becomes the standard.

Read more about the components of a codex and more here!

http://www.encasedinsteel.co.uk/2012/03/23/folia-quires-codices-and-manuscripts-what-are-they/

Background of the Codex: A codex (Latin for block of wood, book; plural codices) is a book in the format used for modern books, with separate pages normally bound together and given a cover. Although the modern book is technically a codex, the term is used only for manuscripts. The codex was a Roman invention that replaced the scroll, ...continue reading "Single Quire Codex"

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Published on 3 Comments on Multi-Quire Codex

Before I begin the Historical Background for Multi-Quire Codices, you may find a few other pages to be useful in learning how to make single-quire codices, multi-quire codices, and parchment.

Multi-quire codices emerged from single-quire codices. A single quire codex takes the form of what we consider today as a traditional book. To learn more about the single-quire codex and codices in general take a look at this page:

Single-quire codex

This link will give you the necessary steps to construct your own multi-quire codex:

How to make a multi-quire codex

This link will provide information on the parchment making process:

Parchment

Here, I will discuss the historical and cultural background information that laid the foundation for the multi-quire codex to emerge.

The development and implementation of the multi-quire codex came as a result of cultural changes occurring throughout Europe and the necessity for documenting religious texts beginning with the 1st - 4th centuries AD. The first shift that laid the foundation for the emergence of multi-quire codices was the transition from papyrus to parchment. Though there were papyrus codices for the first few hundred years of the codex form, parchment eventually overtook papyrus beginning in the 4th century AD. From this initial change in book material, parchment codex gained popularity with the Christian church that utilized first in monasteries. From this point on we see efforts of standardization of scripts and literature, one of the first being Charlemagne. The constant revival of literacy and transcribing that consumed this period are the primary sources of the surviving manuscripts and texts we possess today.

Page from a parchment codex

Courtesy of: Engelberg, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. 37: Johannes Cassianus, Collationes Patrum (www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/one/bke/0037).

...continue reading "Multi-Quire Codex"

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Published on 3 Comments on Pricking and Ruling

As medieval codices were often very complex and elaborate works of art, it was necessary for scribes and their assistants to carefully plan the layout of each page before they began their work. Scribes therefore turned to a practice of pricking and ruling to ensure that each line of text was properly located to create a beautiful and coherent finished product. Pricking and ruling allowed scribes to create an organized template for their text before they began to write. Scribes completed this task by puncturing the parchment in designated locations and drawing lines, either with a pencil or with a blunt object, to demarcate the locations of the lines and columns. The scribes then made small holes on the edges of the parchment with sharp tool at carefully measured intervals so that the markings would be carried through onto subsequent pages. Should the scribe choose to create lines through dry ruling, the lines would carry through onto each page of the codex, though if they used a pencil they would be required to mark each page individually.

https://youtu.be/-FhahzaKXPM

...continue reading "Pricking and Ruling"

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Published on 4 Comments on Making Your Own Codex

After looking at all of the cool projects on this website, you may want to create a book of your own. This guide is here to help. We'll show you have to make a codex with a Coptic binding.

We will be creating a codex with multiple quires.
If you want to start with a simpler project, you can check out how to make a single quire codex here:  Single-quire-codex

...continue reading "Making Your Own Codex"