Two connected APIs
The IIIF Image API describes requests for a whole image, a region, a size or a rotation. The Presentation API describes how digital resources are assembled for display. A manifest typically represents one object and contains an ordered sequence of canvases, often corresponding to views of pages or surfaces. An image service and a manifest answer different questions: one delivers pixels; the other supplies the object’s presentation context.
A canvas label may say “folio 12 verso,” while its array position may be 31 because the manifest includes covers and preliminary leaves. Manifests can link metadata, annotations, ranges and rights statements. They may be revised. Save the institutional record or stable identifier alongside the manifest URL.
Interoperability and limits
A compatible viewer can often open a manifest from another institution and compare two witnesses side by side. This is valuable for textual collation and page layout. It does not override the provider’s licence or guarantee that every image is downloadable at full size. Check the manifest and object page for rights and attribution.
Practice: locate a manifest link in a manuscript viewer. Compare the first three canvas labels with the physical surfaces. Record any difference between canvas order and foliation.
Modern-language examples on this page clarify a linguistic pattern. They do not establish unattested sounds or forms for an ancient language. Follow the cited sources below and keep editorial readings separate from the surviving trace.