Details
TRISSMOSIN, Salomon (?pseud., fl. 1473?). Aureum vellus, oder Guldin Schatz und Kunstkammer. Rorschach: 'gedruckt in des F. Gottshausz S. Gallen Reichshoff' [Leonhard Straub], 1598-99.
3 parts in one volume, 4° (195 x 148mm). Collation: (:)4 A-P4; A-N4; A-Z AA-HH4. Title to each part printed in red and black, full-page portrait of Paracelsus, numerous woodcut text illustrations, 22 LARGE WOODCUTS IN PART III WITH CONTEMPORARY HAND-COLOURING, ornamental initials, head- and tailpieces. (Some browning and spotting, small wormhole in first several quires, repaired marginal tear in 5 leaves.) Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, two fore-edge clasps (endpapers replaced). Provenance: monastic inscription dated 1720 crossed through on title ('Liber monasterii Septemis? ') -- ink stamp removed from title.
A FINE COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION of this alchemical compendium by an unidentified 'Salomon Trissmosin'. The author describes how he began his study of alchemy in 1473 after having seen a transmutation by a miner. His study led him to Venice, 'where from Egyptian or Arabic books he acquired the whole secret, and made transmutation of all the metals. He met Paracelsus at Constantinople.' (Ferguson). Among the tinctures he describes is one which he claims made him suddenly young again, and he predicted being able to prolong his life forever. The Tabula Smaragdina attributed to Hermes Trismegistus is included at the end of part III. A note to the reader at the end of the table of contents states that publication of parts II and III has been delayed but that they are expected to be finished during the autumn of 1598; the title-pages to those parts are dated 1599. VERY RARE COMPLETE, all four copies at the Wellcome Historical Medical Library, the BL copy, the NLM copy, the copy described by Ferguson, and all copies offered at auction in the past 25 years are imperfect. Caillet 10840; Ferguson II, 469; Durling, NLM 3519; Wellcome 6357.
3 parts in one volume, 4° (195 x 148mm). Collation: (:)4 A-P4; A-N4; A-Z AA-HH4. Title to each part printed in red and black, full-page portrait of Paracelsus, numerous woodcut text illustrations, 22 LARGE WOODCUTS IN PART III WITH CONTEMPORARY HAND-COLOURING, ornamental initials, head- and tailpieces. (Some browning and spotting, small wormhole in first several quires, repaired marginal tear in 5 leaves.) Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, two fore-edge clasps (endpapers replaced). Provenance: monastic inscription dated 1720 crossed through on title ('Liber monasterii Septemis? ') -- ink stamp removed from title.
A FINE COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION of this alchemical compendium by an unidentified 'Salomon Trissmosin'. The author describes how he began his study of alchemy in 1473 after having seen a transmutation by a miner. His study led him to Venice, 'where from Egyptian or Arabic books he acquired the whole secret, and made transmutation of all the metals. He met Paracelsus at Constantinople.' (Ferguson). Among the tinctures he describes is one which he claims made him suddenly young again, and he predicted being able to prolong his life forever. The Tabula Smaragdina attributed to Hermes Trismegistus is included at the end of part III. A note to the reader at the end of the table of contents states that publication of parts II and III has been delayed but that they are expected to be finished during the autumn of 1598; the title-pages to those parts are dated 1599. VERY RARE COMPLETE, all four copies at the Wellcome Historical Medical Library, the BL copy, the NLM copy, the copy described by Ferguson, and all copies offered at auction in the past 25 years are imperfect. Caillet 10840; Ferguson II, 469; Durling, NLM 3519; Wellcome 6357.
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