A complete illuminated manuscript in 101 full page color plates

Splendor Solis (The Splendor of the Sun) is regarded as the classic illuminated manuscript on alchemy. It sets forth the philosophy of alchemy, in which the alchemist intervenes in the mechanics of creation while at all times remaining in harmony with nature and supporting its growth. The manuscript was traditionally attributed to Salomon Trismosin, the alleged teacher of Paracelsus, but the real author remains unknown. Twenty copies of the manuscript exist worldwide. The earliest version, dated 1532-1535, is...

A complete alchemy manuscript in 96 full-page color plates

Atalanta Fugiens (lit. Atalanta in flight) is a compendium of illustrated alchemical literature by Michael Maier (1568-1622) a German physician, alchemist, writer, and composer. It was first published in Latin in Oppenheim in 1617. The theme of the work is the Greek myth of Atalanta, a virgin huntress who agreed to marry only if her suitors could outrun her. It consists of 50 illustrations, each of which is accompanied by an epigram on the myth, a discourse and a musical fugue. The origins of the present French...

Herbals (derived from the Latin liber herbalis 'book of herbs') are collections of plant descriptions covering the plants' medicinal, culinary, aromatic, magical, or other properties. Like other early manuscripts, herbals were often 'published' through repeated copying by hand. The herbal reproduced here is a copy of MS Masson 116 held at the Bibliotheque de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. It was produced in Lombardy, North Italy in c.1440 and acquired in 1753 by the newly founded British Museum. Richly illustrated with full page color miniatures on each folio, it is currently held by the...