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[Treatise on practical alchemy].
Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1704
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- Format:
- Book
- Manuscript
- Language:
- English
- Italian
- Latin
- Subjects (All):
- Alchemy--Early works to 1800.
- Alchemy.
- Occultism--Early works to 1800.
- Occultism.
- Genre:
- Codices.
- Drawings (visual works)
- Treatises.
- Manuals (instructional materials)
- Manuscripts, Latin.
- Manuscripts, Italian.
- Manuscripts, English.
- Manuscripts, European.
- Penn Provenance:
- Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.
- Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 621, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
- Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
- Physical Description:
- 143 leaves : paper ; 183 x 110 mm bound to 190 x 120 mm
- Production:
- [England], 1783.
- Language Note:
- English, Italian, and Latin.
- Summary:
- Treatise on the creation of the philosopher's stone translated from Italian into English by Charles Rainsford (see note, f. i recto). Includes a list of contents (f. 139v-140v).
- Notes:
- Ms. codex.
- Foliation: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 143 + (contemporary paper) leaves; [ii], 1-123; [124-141]; contemporary foliation in ink, modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto.
- Layout: Written in long lines.
- Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford.
- Decoration: Alchemical symbols throughout.
- Binding: Contemporary gold-stamped leather. Severe moisture damage to upper edge of text block has made paper deteriorate and resulted in some loss of text.
- Origin: Written in England[?] in 1783 (f. i recto).
- Local Notes:
- Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.
- Cited as:
- UPenn Ms. Codex 1704.
- OCLC:
- 919139967
- Access Restriction:
- Access to this item is restricted.
- Online:
- Unique at Penn blog post
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