BARCHUSEN, Elementa chemiae, 1718
BARCHUSEN, Johann Conrad.
Elementa chemiae, quibus subjuncta est confectura lapidis philosophici imaginibus repræsentara.
Leyde, Theodorum Haak, 1718.
4to (199x148 mm), (12)-532-(20) pages and 24 plates (including 1 folding). binding : Contemporary full calf, gilt spine in six compartments. Little loss of leather on second cover. Some light waterstains at the beginning of the volume. Plates 2,3,4,5 foxed.
Second edition.
While the original edition (Pyrosophia, Utrecht, 1698) included only the five plates depicting the chemistry laboratory and its instrumentation, our edition is enriched with 19 additional plates—printed here for the first time—featuring 78 symbolic figures tracing the stages of the alchemical process.
As noted by Adam McLean, this suite constitutes the only early reproduction of the images from The Crowning of Nature, the renowned medieval alchemical manuscript.
It is one of the rarest works devoted to the philosopher’s stone, with the hidden meaning of its symbolic illustrations giving rise to numerous interpretations. Among them appear some of the most familiar emblems of alchemical tradition, such as the ouroboros, the green lion, and the phoenix.
This work was studied—alongside the Mutus Liber—by psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung in his Psychology and Alchemy (1953), where he discusses in particular the symbolic resonance of the image of the “winged dragon consuming itself within the alchemical vessel” (a figure reproduced in Jung’s book).
Through it, Jung integrates Barchusen’s iconography into his broader reflection on the alchemical transformation of the self.
references: Adam McLean [ alchemywebsite.com : "[...] a late alchemical work of 1718, in which there is included a series of 78 engravings based on the Crowning of Nature manuscript. Contemplation of these illustrations gave new insights into the symbolism, it encapsulated in symbolic form the essence of the alchemical process."], Dorbon [207 : "Un des ouvrages les plus rares sur la transmutation des métaux"], Neville [75 : "This edition is much sought after for its remarkable illustrations comprising the large folding plate of the chemical laboratory at Utrecht, four plates of apparatus and furnaces, and the additional nineteen curious plates depicting seventy-eight symbolic representations of alchemical processes."], Duveen [43 : "An interesting work"], Ferguson [I, 71: "It deals not only with chemistry but the last division with the symbolical pictures is intended to be a practical introduction to Alchemy"].
Price : 9000 €
