The Sphere of the World

The front cover is decorated with marbled paper a decorative paper produced by floating pigments on a liquid surface to create patterns similar to marble stone featuring a pattern of ochre, forest green, and terracotta swirls. The surface of the paper has a distinct diagonal corded or ribbed texture. The right edge of the cover shows a reddish-brown leather spine. The corners on the left side are reinforced with a light-colored material, visible where the marbled paper does not fully reach the edges.

A partial white paper label is visible on the right edge of the leather spine, showing fragments of text:
I
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Library original: "Bib"; likely an abbreviation for "Biblioteca" (Library)
Central original: "Ce"; likely an abbreviation for "Centrale" (Central)

Technical Terms

Binding: the physical construction of the book’s protective cover.

Marbled Paper: the decorative swirled paper used to cover the boards of the book.

Leather Spine: the portion of the binding that protects the sewn edges of the pages, here made of reddish-brown leather.

Shelfmark: the unique identification number (Magl. L.6.9) assigned by the library to indicate the book's specific location on the shelf.