Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[bi3mw]

I would like to refer to "Splendor Solis", Plate 6. Although the earliest surviving edition I could find ( Cod. 78 D 3, Kupferstichkabinett ) is from 1531, the text itself is very likely from about 1440. It is unfortunately no longer verifiable whether possible, older editions were already illustrated. At least in the text of the 15th century, the motif "tree" may already have been present.

"Splendor solis" is an illustrated alchemical manuscript in Middle Low German from the 15th century. The text was most likely written by Ulrich Poyssel around 1440 under the pseudonym Salomon Trismosin."

See Page 28 to 29:
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British Library, Harley MS 3469, 1582, Splendor Solis, Plate 6

f. 15r: Philosophical Tree with three generations of Aeneas’ family: Aeneas, his father Anchises, and his son Silvius up in the tree.

   

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Known to alchemists as the arbor philosophica, or philosophical tree, the tree of life stands for the opus alchymicum, the alchemical process regarded as a preliminary stage of the perfection to which alchemists aspire.

Jörg Völlnagel

Thus, the Arbor philosophica / Arbor Philosophicus also appears in MS Vat.lat. 7286 (see post #217). This is what I mean with the repetition of figurative representations (see post #220).


edit: The illustration of the birds and the crown somehow reminds of the illustration in the "Book of the Holy Trinity" ( see post #221 ).

Soaring birds are frequently used in alchemy to symbolise sublimation...

Jörg Völlnagel