[Ekstationers] Beginnings of this List

[Helen Pinto]

Lyle wrote:
> Aidan, I think you've done some work on studying the Nag Hammadi
> codices; do you have anything to add?

There's the Nag Hamadi and the Hamadi Coptic codices, which are two pretty 
different animals.  The Nag Hamadi codices are the earlier of the two, and 
consist of a single quire of papyrus pages sewn over tacket supports 
directly to the wrap-and-tie cover.  The cover usually has lots of ties- 
top, bottom, and sides with at least a flap on the fore-edge and sometimes 
the top and bottom, too.  The cover is similar to later Western European 
limp bindings in that the leather cover is pasted over a liner (made of 
papyrus) and then covered with the pastdown.  The spine, such as it is, is 
covered with leather, but it's almost a glorified pamplet.  The quire 
stitches are visible on the "spine".
The later codices are multiple quire books, sewn to each other with one of 
several types of chain or figure-eight stitches.  There are some limp 
bindings of these type, where either the first (and last) quires are used as 
the lining supports for the cover or else the pastedowns and linings are 
sewn into the first (and last) quires.  The leather cover wraps around the 
whole book block, but no stitching is visible on the spine.  However, most 
of the later codices are bound in boards, first buit-up and compressed 
papyrus pasteboards, then wood.  In the earlier ones of this type, the 
boards are uncovered and the book block is attached to the boards by hinging 
strips pasted to the spine of the book block between the sewing.  The 
hinging strips are attached to the cover and the pastedowns, which are part 
of the first and last quires hold the whole thing together.  Some of them 
have an additional leather strip over the entire spine (sewing and hinging 
strips); this is also attached to the boards.  A little later there are some 
leather covers to the boards, and these, of course, also cover the spine. 
(But the back is open- he leather is not glued to the spine of the book 
block.)  These books continue to have wrapping straps as part of the cover. 
The next development is tieing the threads of the sewing to hinging loops on 
the cover.  These are made of the same thread as the sewing, and are done 
along the edge of the cover boards through small holes.  There is some 
evidence of spine linings.  The quires also begin to be sewn together at the 
top and bottom using a chain stitch; you can almost see the endbands coming. 
Strap-and-peg closures start to replace the wrapping straps as a method of 
keeping the book closed.  In the next phase, the book block is sewn directly 
to the boards and pegged.  At this stage, some of the boards are uncovered 
again, or have a partial leather covering of the spine, or are fully 
covered.  There is stitching along the top and bottom of the spine, 
connecting it to the leather cover.  The short version is- most spines were 
covered and lined, except for some of the earliest multiple quire examples. 
Some of the books which look like they have uncovered spines are simply ones 
where the spine covering has rotted away, probably from the stress of use.
I hope this helps.
                            -Aidan