Do alchemical emblems appear in different forms?
• Some appear as single, individual emblems, perhaps a frontispiece to a book. • Some appear in a sequence of emblems, and we must consider them always as part of the series to which they belong. • Some are seen as engraved titlepages for books. Here they often appear to summarise the ideas presented in the book. Where do we find alchemical emblems ? • pen drawings in manuscripts (15th to 18th centuries) • watercoloured drawings in manuscripts (15th to 18th centuries) • woodcuts in printed books (16th to 17th centuries) • engravings in printed books (16th to 18th centuries) Are there different types of alchemical emblems? • Some are of alchemical apparatus, and do not have much symbolic content. • Some are entirely symbolic and allegorical • Some are more geometric, showing abstract ideas • Some are more mystical, perhaps in the style of Jacob Boehme or D.A.
