Solidonius Series

18 full page watercolour drawings found in a number of manuscripts There are variations in the different manuscripts and the images do not always occurs in the same sequence.These descriptions were taken from MS. Ferguson 220, Science Hermetique ou La Pierre Philozophale. Text de Solidonius Philosophe enrichi de ses figures hieroglifiques Tirées des Egiptiens avec leur explication.
[Other examples in Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal MS. 973 Solidonius, Figurarum Aegyptiorum Secretarum, Bibliothèque Nationale MS. Français 14765, Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques, and M.P. Hall MS. 216. See also C.G. Jung, Psychology and Alchemy and Mysterium Coniunctionis where he illustrates a similar manuscript in his own collection.]
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Figure 1. Knight stands holding flag and shield.
Figure 2. Winged mermaid at centre of the drawing holding a chalice with a serpent. The four elements are represented at the corners of the page.
Figure 3. A column rises from the bottom of the page with caduceus made of intertwined snakes, to the left and right respectively stand a pelican biting its breast and a Phoenix. The King and Queen stand to the left and right of a further caduceus of snakes just above the column. This caduceus has an open space within which is a double headed eagle.
Figure 4. A King and Queen stand in a basin or cup from which a long column crowned at the top rises up with two snakes entwined around it. Seven figures representing the classical planetary gods are arrayed around this scene.
Figure 5. A King and a Bishop have become fused together. They have a head each but only one body, a pair of arms and two legs. The King side on the left holds a battle axe. Their robe is divided horizontally - yellow under the king head, and white under the Bishop head.
Figure 6. Two men, the one on the left in green the other on the right in yellow clothing, undress a male (or possibly female) figure.
Figure 7. A horse moves from the right to the left. It defecates on the ground.
Figure 8. A King on the left in white robe, reaches out his right hand and holds the left hand of a Queen in a green dress to the right.
Figure 9. Similar figure to the fifth picture, except that the robes of the King and Bishop are white and black, and their feet are in the opposite colour to the robe. This time both sides of the composite figure hold sceptres.
Figure 10. Now we see the double King/Bishop figure has separated into two figure each of whose robes are half black/ half white. The Bishop is on the left with his robe white on the left black on the right, whilt the King on the right and his robe is black on the left and white on the right. Their feet are coloured opposite to the half of the robe above.
Figure 11. The Bishop and King have again fused but now the robe is of a uniform black and their feet are now both white. The two hands are clasped together at the waist.
Figure 12. A King/ Bishop on the left in a black robe, reaches out and embraces round the waist a Queen in a green robe.
Figure 13. Again we see a strange double figure but here the two heads have fused together and wear only one crown. Their robe is black on the left and white on the right, and each half also has large green, red and yellow dots.
Figure 14. A King on the left and a Queen on the right both in white robes, hold between them a green leaved plant with a golden yellow flower. The king also holds a green sceptre in in other hand.
Figure 15. A King dressed in white, holding a green sceptre in his right hand. In his other hand he holds a sceptre with a Moon cresent and solar disc topped with a green star.
Figure 16. Similar to figure 14 except that the King is in a brown robe and the Queen in a green dress. The plant they hold between them is now a golden yellow in its stem leaves and flower, and only its root section is in green.
Figure 17. A King in a brown robe holds a flag bearing the image of the sun in his left hand, opposite to that of the knight in the first figure.
Figure 18. A naked man stands upon a winged globe and holds in his right hand a pair of scales, the left pan being green and the right brown.