Originally designed by Bruce Rogers for the Metropolitan Museum in 1914, Centaur was released by Monotype in 1929. Modeled on letters cut by the fifteenth-century printer Nicolas Jenson, Centaur has a beauty of line and proportion that has been widely acclaimed since its release. The italic type, originally named Arrighi, was designed by Frederic Warde in 1925. He modeled his letters on those of Ludovico degli Arrighi, a Renaissance scribe whose lettering work is among the finest of the chancery cursives. Arrighi was produced by Monotype as the companion for Centaur in 1929. Centaur is a beautiful typeface for books, and can be used effectively for shorter text as well. The Centaur Italic (Arrighi) Alternate offers a different design for the lowercase z and zcaron.