paper manuscripts

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The rounding of the spine in paper manuscripts is described as a 'natural' process resulting from the sewing of gatherings to boards in one process, specifically using 'double-sequence sewing' (p. 109). In paper manuscripts, the spinefolds of the gatherings are manually flattened, often using a hard tool like a bone folder, to facilitate the shaping of the book block (p. 109). This flattening is often done after the application of adhesive to attach the spine lining, taking advantage of the material's increased flexibility compared to parchment (p. 109).

Evidence

"The flattening of the spinefolds of the gatherings was easier to make in paper manuscripts, where in fact it is more commonly encountered (Fig. 32)."

Remarks

The text highlights a distinction in the physical manipulation of gatherings between paper and parchment codices. While parchment may require moisture to be reshaped, paper allows for easier flattening of the spinefolds (p. 109). This structural feature is clearly visible in the spine of codex Sinai Gr. 1205 as shown in Figure 32 (p. 110). The author notes that such manual flattening is more characteristic of the paper tradition within Byzantine and related bindings, where it contributes to a consistent and symmetrical rounding of the spine without the use of hammers (p. 109).