rare
marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind
original
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
manuscript
the form of a literary work submitted for publication
sumptuous
rich and superior in quality
gilded
made from or covered with gold
princely
having the rank of or befitting a prince
antiquarian
of or relating to antiques or antiquities
bibliophile
someone who loves (and usually collects) books
cypher
a secret method of writing
encode
convert information into code
fragment
a piece broken off or cut off of something else
watermark
a distinguishing mark impressed on paper during manufacture; visible when paper is held up to the light
inscription
the activity of inscribing (especially carving or engraving) letters or words
variant
something a little different from others of the same type
document
anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks
palimpsest
a manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible
antiquity
the historic period preceding the Middle Ages in Europe
morocco
a soft pebble-grained leather made from goatskin; used for shoes and book bindings etc.
codex
an unbound manuscript of some ancient classic (as distinguished from a scroll)
folio
a book (or manuscript) consisting of large sheets of paper folded in the middle to make two leaves or four pages
leaf
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants