• Section I

» Ancient writing materials

• 1) PSI XIII 1300
• 2) PSI III 275
• 3) PSI III 276
• 4) PSI III 277
• 5) PSI IX 1027
• 6) PL III/973
• 7) PSI I 28

» The roll

• 8) PSI I 103
• 9) PSI V 514
• 10) PSI IV 361
• 11) PSI IV 422
• 12) PSI IV 428
• 13) P. Flor. II 148
• 14) P. Flor. I 93
• 15) PSI XII 1266
• 16) PSI X 1197

» The codex

• 17) P. Flor. I.71
• 18) PSI X 1164
• 19) PSI XIV 1371
• 20) PSI XI 1182

» Codex formats

• 21) Plut. 4.31
• 22) Acquisti e Doni 153
• 23) Edili 182
• 24) Plut. 2.16

» Scrolls outside Egypt

• 25) Acquisti e Doni 801
• 26) Acquisti e Doni 821
• 39) Acquisti e Doni 777
• 40) Acquisti e Doni 794

• Section II

» Manuscript production

» Parchment and paper

» Scripts

• 27) San Marco 257
• 28) Pluteo 74.7
• 29. Pluteo 82.1
• 30. Ashburnham 125
• 31. Pluteo 5 sin.6
• 32. Pluteo 90 sup.125
• 33. Pluteo 33.31
• 34. Pluteo 46.12
• 37. Redi 28
• 38. Orientale 11

» Format and funcyion. The Bible

• 35. Edili 125
• 36. Pluteo 3, capsula I

» Bibliografia

» Credits

• Codex formats

The items on display (nos. 21, 22, 23, 24) illustrate that codices have been produced in different shapes and sizes over the centuries. The characteristics of the parchment or paper, textual content, patrons’ tastes and wallets, and intended function are factors that greatly influenced the size of the manuscript book and determined if a small, medium or large format would be used. Extremely significant examples of the interaction between format and function can be seen in the next room (nos. 35 and 36).
Codices also differ in terms of the proportional relationship between height (h) and width (w). Greek manuscripts in general and Latin ones from the early Middle Ages are usually wider and tend to be square in shape (no. 21). The Latin world witnessed a steady trend towards a narrower rectangular format (no. 23) approaching the ‘invariant proportion’ that is still respected in modern publications. This trend became even more noticeable as paper became more widespread and led to general standardization. Nevertheless, there were exceptions to the most common formats and they were often due to the type of content, as demonstrated by the oblong manuscript on display (no. 22).

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