Regiomontanus: Canones LXIII

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Description of binding

Size of the book: 210 (without band 205) x 291 x 49 mm

Codex under shelfmark Cod. Lat. 412, kept by National Széchényi Library, has a reddish brown, blind-tooled full leather binding. The ornamentation links it to the workshop of Master Egidus; it was made in Buda in the 1470s. Ornamentation of the left and right boards is identical. The central field features free gothic leaves organized in cross shape, and the surrounding wide frame is built up from flower stems, smaller and larger peltate leaves and acorns. The spine is divided into a diamond net by quadruple lines; small circles or flower heads are tooled in the divisions. The book was originally fastened with three pairs of left-to-right fastening clasps. Impression of oblong clasps is visible on the right board. Its green textile ribbons survived in fragments; they had been fastened to the board with three nails each. According to the restoration documentation, the board is made of beech wood, and currently it is completely obscured. The parchment quires are sewn all along on three double white leather sewing supports with kettle stitches. Endleaves at the left and right boards are made of parchment; they are sewn one-fold endleaves. The endband is sewn on a white leather core, decorated with green and light red silk; decorative stitches form a herringbone motif. The edge had become dark; fore-edge of the endleaves at the left board is painted yellow. The book was restored in 1981-82 by Ildikó Kozocsa in the Restoration Laboratory of National Széchényi Library. According to the restoration documentation, she detached the first and the last quires, as well as the endleaves during the intervention. Cover leather, parchment endleaves and the endbands were repaired. The original chamois leather lining was detached from the spine and it was replaced by new sheepskin. Three non-period copper nails were removed from the left board. The label separated from the spine was placed in a bag glued to the paste-down at the right board.