Manuscript Pavia, Aldini 75

[Adam McLean]

Pavia Ms 75  has an unusual pen drawing with three shields.
That on the left has a black eagle spreading its wings above the Sun, Moon and star set above a bank of clouds. The central shield is quartered with columns, and lions standing at the side of a precipice, while the shield on the right has a crown with two feathers.

The text is a practical recipe, difficult to read as the Latin is contracted, with what appears to be some works in Greek, but it begins "Recipe nine ounces [...Greek ?...] filosophic."


   

[Carl Lavoie]

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Colours in both alchemy and heraldry are significant. Is there a version in colour available? I also wish the motto on the listel was legible.
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[Adam McLean]

No, I have not been able to find a coloured version.

[Adam McLean]

Eva Dunkel has kindly provided me with the emblem in colour from the Aldini manuscript.

   

[Paul Ferguson]

Although there are some Greek characters, the words in question do not seem to be Greek but are encoded. The 'secret' ingredients are written in this code.

Contractions: sblimati = sublimati, tatari = tartari, pparati = præparati, que= quæ; onz are ounces, gr are grams

At the end it says: fac pulverem. De quo pulvere cementa laminas Iovis finissimi quae sint in pondere onz viii...
'Make a powder. Using this powder, cement together sheets of the finest tin which are in weight 8 ounces.'

I'll have another look tomorrow.

According to the University of Brighton, wishing people a Happy Christmas upsets people. They suggest 'winter closure period' as a woke alternative. So a Happy Winter Closure Period to you all.

[Adam McLean]

Here is a better quality version of the image.


   

[Adam McLean]

There is another similar emblem in the manuscript.

   

[Adam McLean]

Pavia Ms. Aldini 75 also contains a number of rather delightful drawings of alchemical apparatus.
I will post them in a separate thread so as not to diverge from the emblematic material.

[Adam McLean]

I just found another similar emblem in our manuscript.