Szirmai, John - The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding

16 The first multi-quire Coptic codices
Table 2.1
Early parchment multi-quire codices
No. Owner Shelfmark Contents Date No. of
quires
Dimensions * Sewing
stations
Reference
1 Chester Beatty A (MS 813) Pauline Epistles, John vi 20 152 x 130 4 Ll, 2]
2 Chester Beatty B (MS 814) Acts Apostles, John vii 21 121 x 102 4 Li]
3 Chester Beatty C (MS 815) Psalms 1-50, Matthew vi 20 98 x 86 3 Ll]
4 Michigan UL D (MS 167) Psalms 51-151 vi 25 121 x 102 4 LiJ
5 Michigan UL E (MS 166) Theol. miscellanea vi ? 83 x70 ?
Li]
6 Freer Gallery Inv. 06.274 The Four Gospels v 27 210 x 140 5 [3, 4, 5]
7 New York PML Glazier 67 Acts Apostles iv 15 120 x 106 3 [6, 7, 8]
8 New York PML M 910 Acts Apostles (?) iv (?) ? ? ? [7]
9 Princeton UL Scheide 144 Matthew iv/v 30 125 x 105 3 [9]
10 Barcelona UL PPal.Rib.181--3 Luke, John, Matthew V 29 200 x 165 4 [10, 11, 12]
11 Cairo Copt. Mus. Mudil codex Psalms v/vi 32 178 x 128 4 [13, 141
* Dimensions are given in mm for height x widtii of the boards; the bookblock is mostly identical or slightly
smaller, in no. 10 up to 7 mm. References: [1], Lamacraft (1939); [21, van Regemorter (1958a); [3], Morey
(1912); 14], G.D. Hobson (1939); [5], Petersen (1948); [61, Kebabian (1967); [7], Needham (1979); [8],
Schenke (1991); [9], Schenke (1981); [10], Quecke (1972); [11], Quecke (1977); [12], Quecke (1984); [13J,
Gabra (1995); [14j, Sharpe (1995).
was hastily taken apart, its structure luckily recorded in some detail (Gabra 1995; Sharpe
1995).
2.2 THE LINK STITCH
Before examining the sewing of these early codices, the basic principles and terminology of
the link stitch in its many variants should be introduced. 2
The actual linking process can be
described in terms of the thread movement as follows: the thread, proceeding in the centrefold,
exits through a sewing hole at a given sewing station where it drops in order to make a
link under the sewing thread of the previous quire (actually, it links under the sewing thread
connecting the two previous quires); it then climbs and re-enters through the same hole and
makes a long stitch to the next sewing station (Figure 2.1).
Several variations are possible: in [a] the exiting thread continues forward in the
same direction and, after having made the link, crosses itself when re-entering (configuration
a); in [b] the exiting thread bends backwards and, after having made the link, slips
under itself before re-entering the quire (configuration |i). The linking may take place with
the sewing of the previous quire as in [a] and [b], or with the sewing of the last but one or
two quires as shown in [c] and [d]. The link with the penultimate quire has been called the