Manuscript Parts

Up: 2 The Manuscript Description Element Previous: 2.8 Additional information

It is frequently the case that an item catalogued as if it were a single object is in fact a composite made up of several different and originally distinct manuscripts or manuscript fragments. Each such component should be recorded using a distinct <msPart> element, embedded within the <msDescription> element for the composite:

<msPart> contains information about an originally distinct manuscript or manuscript fragment now forming part of a composite manuscript.

Each component of a composite manuscript may have its own content, physical description, history, etc. It may have been given a distinct identifier which it would be desirable to maintain. And finally, it is not impossible that a composite be made from previously-existing composites. For all these reasons, the <msPart> element used to record information about an individual constituent of a composite manuscript has an almost identical structure to that of a <msdescription> proper. The main difference is that an identifier must be supplied for a full manuscript description (using the <msIdentifier> element), but is only optional in the case of a manuscript part.

Here is a simple example of a composite manuscript, in which there are two discrete components:


<msDescription>
<msIdentifier> 
  <!-- identifying information for the whole manuscript --> 
</msIdentifier>
<msHeading> 
  <!--  short description of the whole manuscript -->
</msHeading>
<msPart>
<physDesc> 
  <!-- physical description of the first component part -->
</physDesc>
<msContent> 
  <!--  intellectual content of first component part -->
</msContent>
</mspart>
<msPart>
<physDesc> 
  <!-- physical description of the second component part -->
</physDesc>
<msContent> 
  <!--  intellectual content of second component part -->
</msContent>
</mspart>
</msDescription>

If the parts of a composite manuscript have their own identifiers, they should be tagged using the <idno> element, rather than the <msIdentifier> element. Whatever value is specified should be appended to the <idno> specified in the parent <msIdentifier> in order to obtain a full identification for the part, as in the following example:

<msDescription>
<msIdentifier>
<settlement>Amiens</settlement>
<repository>Biblioth&amp;egrave;que Municipale</repository>
<altName>Maurdramnus Bible</altName>
</msIdentifier>

<!-- other elements here -->
	
<msPart>
<idno>MS 6</idno>
<!-- other information specific to this part here -->
</msPart>
<msPart>
<idno>MS 7</idno>
<!-- other information specific to this part here -->
</msPart>
<msPart>
<idno>MS 9</idno>
<!-- other information specific to this part here -->
</msPart>

<!-- other msParts here -->

</msDescription>

The <msPart> element is formally defined as follows:

Up: 2 The Manuscript Description Element Previous: 2.8 Additional information

(revised 21 Jun 01) Edited by Lou Burnard for the MASTER Work Group.
Copyright TEI Consortium 2001

Master Project

The MASTER Document Type Definition: reference manual

2.9 Manuscript Parts