A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery
This dictionary documents alchemical symbolism from the early centuries AD to the late-twentieth century, for use by historians of literary culture, philosophy, science and the visual arts, and readers interested in alchemy and hermeticism. Each entry includes a definition of the symbol, giving the literal (physical) and figurative (spiritual) meanings, an example of the symbol used in alchemical writing, and a quotation from a literary source. There are fifty visual images of graphic woodcuts, copperplate engravings and hand-painted emblems, some reproduced here for the first time.
- Makes alchemical symbolism available to historians of literary culture, philosophy, science and the visual arts
- Will appeal to a 'new age' audience of readers with an interest in alchemy and hermeticism
- Illustrated with fifty representative examples of the visual imagery of alchemical symbolism
Reviews & endorsements
"...this is a rich and generous source of information, with many illustrations and copious cross-referencing. Abraham makes an arcane subject accessible without diminishing its rich complexity." Journal of Englih and Germanic Philology
"Lyndy Abraham's Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery represents an invaluable research and reference tool for the specialist in literary studies, the art historian, and the historian of science. Delving into a rich variety of alchemical writings from Aquinas to Zoroaster and a wide range of literary texts, the Dictionary supplies ample evidence for the myriad ways in which alchemical thinking and imagery entered into the broader culture of early modern Europe through poetry, drama, and literature." Deborah Harkness
"...Abraham presents an intellectual dense, highly focused view of alchemical images in a Renaissance context." Norman Weinstein, Parabola
"Accessible and well formatted, this work will find an audience with historians of literary culture, philosophy, science, and visual arts, as well as armchair scholars with an interest in alchemy and hermeticism. This book is recommended for large public and academic collections." Edmund F. Santa Vicca, Choice
Product details
March 2001Paperback
9780521000000
272 pages
247 × 175 × 17 mm
0.474kg
50 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- List of figures
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- A dictionary of alchemical imagery
- Bibliography
- Index of alchemical and literary authors.