The Sphere of the World

The provided image captures the fore-edge of the bound manuscript—the side where the pages open, opposite the spine. The page block appears as a solid, compressed stack of paper with a weathered, brownish-yellow patina, characteristic of historical rag paper. There is no written text, titles, or decorations visible on these edges. Portions of the front and back covers are visible at the margins, showing a decorative marbled pattern in shades of ochre and dark green.

Early European Books, Copyright © 2011 ProQuest LLC. Images reproduced by courtesy of the National Central Library of Florence original: "Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze". Manuscript Shelfmark: Magl. L.6.9

Technical Terms

Fore-edge: the edge of a book's leaves opposite the spine. In some luxury manuscripts, this area was sometimes painted (fore-edge painting) or gilded, though here it remains plain and shows the natural aging of the paper.

Page Block: also known as the text block; the gathered ensemble of leaves that make up the interior of the book, viewed here from the side.