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ALDE
117
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[ALCHEMICAL MANUSCRIPT]. Italy, 17th or 18th century.
See original version (French)
117
-
[ALCHEMICAL MANUSCRIPT]. Italy, 17th or 18th century.
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Voluntary lot
Description
[ALCHEMICAL MANUSCRIPT]. Italy, 17th or 18th century. A handwritten manuscript in 12mo format (approx. 14 x 9.5 cm) comprising 3 folios (two on heavy paper and one on fine laid paper), featuring four colour alchemical illustrations and handwritten annotations in Italian. A precious alchemical handbook, of a rare and curious kind, comprising four full-page illustrations, either drawn or engraved, hand-coloured and enriched with handwritten annotations.
These four illustrations are direct references to the Great Work:
– the first depicts a crowned nude woman standing upon two athanors fitted with stills, surmounted by a flowering tree and a phoenix, and flanked by the solar and lunar symbols and a flock of birds;
– the second is a depiction of the Rebis: the crowned philosophical Androgyne holding a sword and a crown and slaying fantastical and grotesque monsters;
– the third is a hand-drawn composition depicting the Philosophical Tree with three flowers emerging from an ouroboros dragon, with, below, the solar and lunar faces and the symbol of Mercury;
– the fourth, finally, is a Hermetic allegory of the resurrection.
These four images are covered with ancient handwritten annotations. On the reverse of the first and second leaves are handwritten notes and accounting entries in Italian.
An interesting document for alchemical iconography, in the tradition of the *Rosarium philosophophorum*.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Antique books – Alchemy & the occult sciences
Auction location
Auction time
11/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
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