The second and third paragraphs in folio 1r have starters in the form of red embellishments which could be purely decorative or could hint at something.
The starter in the second paragraph could possibly be a stylized image of:
- a bird (eagle, seagull, dove, etc.);
- antlers;
etc.
The starter in the third paragraph could possibly be a stylized image of:
- the Bowl of Hygieia with a snake above it;
- a hearth with rising smoke symbolizing Hestia or Vesta;
- a genie (jinn) jar;
etc.
Please kindly share your ideas about the two paragraph starters.
I think they are of the same kind as the third one in the upper right corner? Also, one or two of them are somewhat similar to the shapes in the right margin (visible in the MSIs).
I'm talking about these shapes in particular (processed MSI image)
[
attachment=9688]
I have a fair few ideas but I think this comparison is the easiest to show.
On the left is the first page of "Coelum philosophorum, seu, Liber de secretis naturae" published in 1557.
![[Image: alt.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/ZR1J822H/alt.jpg)
(06-01-2025, 04:54 PM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I think they are of the same kind as the third one in the upper right corner? ...
Although this could be a stretch, but the red spots in the upper right corner could be the remnants of a stylized Amphisbaena (two-headed snake).
I just see an
v and
ver like the You are not allowed to view links.
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[
attachment=9992]
versus intervalli
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Although I like the explanation as alchemical symbols, these glyphs may just be initials.
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For completeness, let's mention also the possibility of having a double-headed creature (eagle?) in the first red embellishment.
Just as an arbitrary illustration, the attached image shows a double-headed eagle in a gold coin of Charles V.