Basilius Valentinus (Basil Valentine) FR. BASILII VALENTINI, ORDIN, BENEDICT. CHYMISCHE SCHRIFTEN, AUS EINIGEN ALTEN MSTEN AUFS FLEISSIGSTE VERBESSERT, MIT VIELEN TRACTATEN, AUCH ETLICHEN FIGUREN VERMEHRET, UND NEBST EINEM VOLLSTÄNDIGEN REGISTER IN DREY THEILE VERFASSET: SAMT EINER NEUEN VORREDE, VON BEURTHEILUNG DER ALCHYMISTISCHEN SCHRIFTEN UNDEM LEBEN DES BASILII, BEGLEITET VON BENED. NIC. PETRAEO, MED. D. FUNSTE EDITION. Hamburg, 1740, Gottfried Richter.
1 vol., in 8°, 18x11.5 cm, p. [160], 1133, [155] + 17 illustrated plates. Back binding in full white parchment, titles with gold decorations on the spine, coloured edges.
Emblemata 18th century of alchemy with a colored frontispiece, 1 portrait of the author on the frontispiece; complete with 16 finely engraved plates depicting symbols and magical creatures, alchemical allegories, initiatory formulas and more. The author, active in the 15th century, was a German alchemist: although his existence is still strongly questioned today, his numerous works on chemistry and alchemy were certainly successful, translated into several European languages. Excellent state of preservation.