Collection ID: 0002 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Aurea Catena Homeri.

Authors

• Kirchweger, Anton Joseph, -1746
• Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Other related names

• Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner
• Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner (http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr93028960)

Call number

Ms. Codex 1682
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9962935613503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913516912
• https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3wh2dm6x https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Language

German

Origin

Date

1770

Place

Germany

Summary

Copy of an alchemical treatise that discusses the creation and decomposition of matter as well as the transmutation of metals and has practical instructions for conducting experiments with fermentation, distillation, and the generation of animals, vegetables, and minerals. Also includes a table of contents (v. 1, f. 7r-9v) and an alphabetical index (v. 2, f. 184r-197v).

Notes

• Ms. codex.
   
• Title from caption title (f. 1r).
   

Extent

2 volumes (220, 269 leaves) : 193 x 134 (166 x 115) mm bound to 205 x 145 mm

Foliation

V.1: Paper, 220; [x, 1-210]; V.2: Paper, 269; [v, 1-264]; modern foliation in pencil, lower right recto. Irregular contemporary numbering in outer margins of some leaves.

Support

Paper

Binding

Contemporary parchment. Binding of v. 1 is pulling loose from text block. Several blank leaves in v. 2 are uncut at the top edge.

Layout

Written in 23 long lines.

Decoration

Several diagrams (v. 1, f. 2v, 183v; v. 2, f. 94v); occasional use of alchemical symbols (for example, v. 1, f. 6v).

Script

Written in a cursive script by a single hand.

Provenance

• Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
   
• 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. 593.1 and 593.2, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
   

Subjects topical

• Alchemy--Early works to 1800
• Alchemy
• Occultism--Early works to 1800
• Occultism

Genres

• Codices
• Diagrams
• Drawings (visual works)
• Treatises
• Manuscripts, European
• Manuscripts, German

Keywords

• Treatise
• 18th century
• German
• Diagrams
• Paper
• Germany
• Alchemy

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1682: Aurea Catena Homeri. are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2017 University of Pennsylvania Books & Manuscripts and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• fol. 7r (V.1) — Table of contents, f. 7r (V.1)
• fol. 198r (V.2) — Blank leaves start
• fol. 264v (V.2) — Blank leaves end

Decorations

• fol. 2v (V.1) — Diagram, f. 2v (V.1)
• fol. 107v (V.1) — Diagram, f. 107v (V.1)
• fol. 113v (V.1) — Diagram, f. 113v (V.1)
• fol. 141v (V.1) — Diagram, f. 141v (V.1)
• fol. 183v (V.1) — Diagram, f. 183v (V.1)
• fol. 94v (V.2) — Diagram, f. 94v (V.2)